The Most Precious Things in Life
by Lost in Day Dreams
Summary: Things on the farm are finally going well for Oliver, but at the expense of the time he spends with the ones he loves. Will Oliver realize that his time with his loved ones is too precious and short to give up, or will it be too late?
1. On the Way to the Meeting

**On a Country Road in Hooterville**

Oliver Wendell Douglas smiled to himself he drove in his topless convertible on the way to his meeting of the Hooterville Volunteer Fire Fighters. He had got a late start, but Oliver was in such a good mood that he couldn't care less.

Oliver took a deep breath and soaked in the cool country air and took in the scenery that surrounded him. It was beautiful day, which only added to his bliss. As he continued driving, his thoughts drifted toward what put him in such a good mood. His crops were doing splendidly this year. His corn, wheat, and tomatoes were thriving so well that not even Eb, his hired hand, could insult them.

_Why shouldn't they being doing well,_ Oliver thought to himself. _I worked very hard to make them as they are. Probably harder than I ever worked before._

Finally, after all these years of hard work, Oliver was finally achieving the life that he always dreamed of. The life that he left the rat race of the city for. He had a successful farm, a respected place in the community, and a beautiful wife that loved him.

Oliver felt a pang of guilt as his thoughts drifted to his wife, Lisa. He knew that his good crop came at the expense of all his free time, which meant the less time he spent with her. He couldn't remember the last time they went out, just the two of them.

_But she understands, _Oliver thought. _She knows how much the farm means to me. If she didn't, she never would have agreed to move out here in the first place._

But Oliver knew that no excuse for ignoring her all this time. Oliver promised himself that he would take Lisa out to somewhere or something special as soon as the opportunity came up. _But what?_

Oliver's thoughts were interrupted as he pulled up to the front of the Hooterville Volunteer Fire Department station.


	2. The Very Important Meeting

**Hooterville Volunteer Fire Department Station**

Oliver entered the station to find the fire fighters gathered around the checkers board watching Mr. Kimball and Mr. Haney play a game.

"Good evening, gentlemen," Oliver said upon entering. Ralph, the lady carpenter, cleared her throat loudly. "And Ralph." Oliver added. "Sorry I'm late, but I can see that I didn't miss anything important."

"Shhhhhh," Mr. Haney hissed. "I'm trying to concentrate!" Mr. Haney continued sitting back and staring intently at the board.

Oliver became annoyed. "Look gentleman, I really think we should begin the meeting. Mr. Drucker said it was important."

"But Mr. Douglas, this is a very important game." Mr. Kimball said. "Well not _very_ important, but not unimportant, but it certainly is…" he trailed off. "What were we talking about again?"

Oliver could feel that headache he got when he talked to Mr. Kimball coming on. "The checkers game!"

"Oh right!" Mr. Kimball exclaimed. "The checkers game! Why were we talking about it again?"

"Oh brother!" Oliver said while rolling his eyes. "I haven't the faintest idea!" Oliver added.

"Oh yes! I was saying it was very important. Well, not _very _important, but not unimportant, but certainly…"

"Oh just forget it!" Oliver said putting his hands up in defeat.

"Mr. Douglas is right." Mr. Drucker said. "We really should get this meeting started." Oliver looked over at him with a look of gratitude on his face.

The gentlemen, and Ralph, began rearranging chairs to set up for the meeting. Once everyone was seated, Mr. Drucker began the meeting. "All gentlemen." Ralph cleared her throat again. "Ralph, would you quit doing that!" Mr. Drucker exclaimed, getting annoyed.

"Well, if any of you thought to include me in you greetings!" Ralph exclaimed. "They did include you. They said gentlemen, didn't they?" Alf said. "Alf, I'm gonna pop you one!" Ralph screamed. "You do and I'm telling mom!" he retorted.

"Will you two quit it," Mr. Drucker exclaimed. "Now as I was saying, gentlemen _and_ Ralph! I called this meeting to discuss a very important issue. As you know, Hooterville hasn't had any social event in a long while, and the new Civic Center is gonna open up in two weeks from Friday, so I suggest that we throw a ball to celebrate its opening."

Oliver couldn't believe his ears! He came to this meeting expecting to discuss normal fire department issues like new fire equipment or better strategies for putting out fires. _But then again, Hooterville hasn't exactly been normal_, Oliver thought._ And the only fire that we ever had turned out to be a false alarm_, he thought, recalling the early days when he first became interested in joining the volunteer fire department. Besides, a ball was a nice idea. It could be a way for him and Lisa to go out and have a good time. Then it hit him. _This could be the event I was looking for. This could be the thing to be the event that could make up for all the time I didn't spend with her._ Suddenly, the thought of a ball became exciting to Oliver.

"All those in favor of appointing Oliver as head of the ball-organizing committee, say aye," Oliver heard when he tuned back in. "Aye," the others exclaimed"

"Wait, what? I didn't volunteer to be the head of any committee! I've got too many things to do around the farm!" Oliver exclaimed.

"But Mr. Douglas! You've already been chosen!" Mr. Kiley said. "Besides, you don't have to do all the work yourself! We'll help! And you can get your wife to help too!"

"You know, that's not a bad idea." Oliver mused. "All right, I'll do it. And as head of the committee, I call a meeting for this Friday to discuss who can do what."

"Then it's settled." Mr. Drucker said. "Meeting dismissed!"

As Oliver got up to go, he silently vowed that, no matter what happens on the farm, he was going to take his wife to this ball. _No matter what._

Hi! Sorry, I know it's a little slow right now, but I'm just trying to get this story off the ground. It gets better, I promise! Please keep reading and review!


	3. Lisa Learns the News

**Douglas Farm, just after the meeting**

Oliver parked his car in front of his house and attempted to enter the house. Just as he was about to twist the door open, the doorknob detached from the door and fell into Oliver's hand. _Perfect, _Oliver thought sarcastically as he began pounding on the door. "Lisa! Lisa!" Oliver yelled.

Inside, Lisa was busy dusting when she heard someone try to open the door to no avail, followed by her name being called by a familiar voice. Lisa smiled a coy smile to herself as she walked over to the door. "Who is it?" she asked innocently in her thick, Hungarian accent as if not knowing who was at the door.

"Lisa! You know perfectly well who it is! Now open the door!" Oliver said.

"I'm sorry, Harry, but I can't let you in! My husband vill be home any minute and vill be furious if he caught you here." she replied while giggling.

"Lisa, would you just open the door!" Oliver said, sounding rather annoyed. Lisa knew by the tone in his voice that her little game was no longer amusing, so she decided to open the door.

"Oh, it's you!" Lisa said, still playing dumb. "Hello dere!" she said, while giving him a peck on the lips. "How vas your meeting?" she asked while picking up the duster to continue her task.

"It was strange as usual, but this time I have a surprise for you!" Oliver said excitedly.

"A susprise! For me! Vat is it, Olivah! Is it flowers, or diamonds, or furs! Is it furs! Did you get me a new minks coat! Vat is it Olivah! Vat, vat, vat!" Lisa questioned while shaking him by his vest.

"Well, if you stop saying vat, vat, vat, I will tell you vat, er, or what it is!" he said, grabbing her wrists to prevent her from shaking him anymore. "Anyway, the new civic center downtown is almost finished and to celebrate its opening, the volunteer fire department is hosting a ball for the entire community. And I am planning on taking you!"

"You mean ve are actually going to the ball?" Lisa asked in disbelief.

"Yes!" Oliver replied.

"You mean you're not going to make an excuse to get out of it? Or refuse to go because of the farm? Or say it's going to be a disaster and stay home to read?" Lisa asked.

"No. This time, we are going to that ball no matter what. And we are going to dance and eat and socialize and have a good time with our friends. It's going to be a special night for just the two of us." Oliver replied, pleased with himself.

"Oh, Olivah! I'm so excited!" Lisa exclaimed while putting her arms around his neck in a hug. Oliver quickly put his arms around her waist and held her in an embrace. "I can't vait for the ball! Ven is it?" she asked.

_Uh-oh, _Oliver thought. _This is the part she's not going to be happy with._ Oliver knew that Lisa was not going to like the long wait. But he knew he couldn't lie to her either. Dreadfully, Oliver quickly mumbled, "Two weeks from Friday," but to no avail. Lisa heard him.

"Two veeks from Friday!" Lisa exclaimed while detaching herself from his embrace. "But Olivah, vat am I supposed to do in the meantime! I have no one to talk to around here! You're alvays busy vorking on the farm and Eb has been sick with a cold for days! I've been so bored and lonesome for so long!"

"Oh, does Eb still have that darn cold?" Oliver asked, trying to change the subject.

"Don't change the subject!" Lisa exclaimed while whirling around to avoid his gaze. _Drat, _Oliver thought. _She knows me too well!_

"Lisa." Oliver said in a soothing tone. "You know I would love to spend time with you, but you also know how much this farm means to me! I have to work hard to keep it up and running. That's why I told you about this ball. This is the event that I am taking you to in order to make up for all the time I didn't spend with you. I promise it will be our special night out, but you'll just have to wait a while is all!" Oliver said, hoping that his little speech will convince her.

Lisa stood still with her arms folded in front of her, her lips formed in a pout. "You still haven't told me vat I can do in the meantime," she said bitterly. Oliver took this as a sign that she was willing to wait.

"I've got a great idea!" Oliver said. "You can be the decorating committee! I'm having a meeting to appoint jobs for the members, and I'm sure they won't mind having you giving them a hand." Oliver walked over to Lisa to put his arms around her waist from behind. "Besides, you've always had such impeccable taste."

"Velllll…all right. I'll help." Lisa said subjectively.

"Great!" Oliver exclaimed enthusiastically, whirling her around to face her. "Then you could join us at the meeting tomorrow! Now, I have to go do some work around the farm. I'll be back for dinner," he said. He gave her a kiss on the cheek and walked out the door.

_He just doesn't understand,_ Lisa thought sadly. She sighed and once again continued with her dusting.


	4. The Assigning of the Committees

**Hooterville Volunteer Fire Department Station**

The next day, Oliver and Lisa made their way to the meeting at the fire station to find that they were the last ones to arrive. After greetings were exchanged everyone began taking a seat and Oliver took his place at the podium.

"You can sit next to me, Hankie," Oliver heard Ralph say as he was preparing his notes.

Mr. Kimball looked around uncomfortably. "Uh…I would but, uh, I think that seat is already taken." Ralph looked down to see Arnold hop up onto the chair, turn himself around and sit down while grunting.

"Sorry Arnold, but that seat is taken." Ralph said. Ralph made an attempt to shoo him off of the chair, but Arnold began to squeal.

"Arnold says he has to sit there or else he won't be able to hear Mr. Douglas talk." Mr. Ziffel said.

"What does he need to hear anyway? He's a pig!" Oliver said, helping Ralph unintentionally. At that comment Arnold began to squeal harder.

"Now look vat you did, Olivah! You made him cry!" Lisa said, scolding Oliver.

"Now, everyone, let's just settle down and begin this meeting! The sooner we begin, the sooner we can all go home!" Mr. Druker said.

"Mr. Druker's right. Let's get started." Oliver agreed. Glad to be in the clear, Mr. Kimball took a seat next to Lisa.

"Now, I spent a lot time thinking about which job would be best for which person, and have come up with the following committees." Oliver began. "On the food committee will be Alf and Ralph Monroe. On the music and advertisement committees will be Sam Druker and Newt Kiley. The delivery committee will be lead by Eustace Haney, and finally the decorating committee will be lead by my wife. Okay, any questions?" Oliver asked.

"Mr. Douglas, why do I have to be the delivery committee?" Mr. Haney asked in his distinctive tones.

"Because you have the largest truck in the valley." Oliver replied.

"Why are Mr. Druker and me in charge of two committees?" Mr. Kiley asked.

"Because you and Mr. Druker can work together to book a band and because Mr. Druker can print out the advertisements and you can pass them out." Oliver said.

"What do you want the rest of us to do?" Mr. Ziffel asked.

"Oh, I forgot to mention that! The rest of you will be helping my wife decorate the civic center." Oliver said.

"Mr. Douglas, what kind of food do you want me and Ralph to get?" Alf asked.

"What kind of things do I have to deliver?" Mr. Haney asked.

"Who's in charge of getting those decorations?" Mr. Ziffel asked.

"What do you want those advertisements to say?" Mr. Druker asked.

"How much are you going to pay me?" Mr. Haney threw in.

Oliver couldn't pick one question from another in the din. He put his pinkies in his mouth and blew a loud, high-pitched whistle. Everyone quickly quieted down. "Please ladies and gentlemen, please!" Oliver yelled. "I can answer all of your..."

"Hey!" Ralph said, interrupting. "How come now you say ladies?"

"Because there's actually a lady in the room now!" Alf replied, referring to Lisa.

"Alf, don't make me sock you!" Ralph yelled, raising her fist to his face.

"Please, let's not fight!" Lisa interfered. "My husband has something very important to say that can answer all of your questions."

"Thank you, Lisa." Oliver said. "Now, as I was saying, all of your questions can be answered very simply. I have made a personalized assignment sheet for each and every one of you, detailing what you need to do to make this ball a success. I will hand them out to you and the end of the meeting."

"Well, it seems like you have taken care of everything thing!" Mr. Druker said approvingly. "And we promise we will work hard to make this event the best Hooterville has ever seen!"

"In that case," Mr. Douglas said, "this meeting is adjourned!"

After he handed out everyone's assignment sheet, Oliver took his wife by the hand and led her out the door to the car. As he was starting up the car, Oliver couldn't help but feel proud of himself. He was sure this ball was going to be a success. _It has to be_, he thought. _For Hooterville and for Lisa_.

Hello dere! Hope your enjoying the story so far. I know it's still going a little slow, but believe me, it's necessary for the development of the story. And don't worry, it gets very dramatic later! Keep reading and please review!


	5. Lisa's Big Accomplishments

**Somewhere in Downtown Pixley**

The day following the meeting, the townspeople quickly began making preparations for the ball. Since Lisa didn't have the heart to make Eb drive her around while he's sick, she accompanied Ralph and her brother on their search for a caterer in Pixley. As Alf parked the car, Lisa turned to Ralph and said, "Thank you for letting me get a ride vith you to Pixley. I promise it won't take me long to find decorations."

"Oh, that's all right, Mrs. Douglas. What are friends for?" Ralph replied. "And don't worry about time. We can wait if we get done before you."

"Speak for yourself." Alf replied. "We still have to finish that construction job over at Ben Miller's. And as president of the Monroe Brothers Company, if we are late again, _I'm_ never going to hear the end of it!"

"President!" Ralph exclaimed. "Since when have you been president! Since when has there been any president!"

"Well I am the oldest!" Alf screamed back. "What does that have to do with anything!" Ralph replied.

Lisa could see that this was about to get out of hand, so she decided to step in. "Alf, Ralph, please don't fight. Neither of you have to vorry because I vill not be long anyvay. I promise." At that, Lisa stepped out of the car and headed off to find decorations.

Lisa walked by many small boutiques, the bijou theater, her husband's law office, and the bank, but she couldn't find any place that looked like it would have what she needed. She decided to walk a little further. Finally, she came to a small shop hidden deep in downtown Pixley entitled, "Weddings and Such Decorations". _Vell, I don't know about the vedding part, but maybe the "such" is vat I need, _Lisa thought. She decided it couldn't hurt to give it a try.

As Lisa walked into the little shop, she couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. The shop didn't look like a place where you would want to pick up decorations for a wedding, much less a ball. Just as she was about to turn and leave, a man dressed in a very expensive looking suit and wearing a name tag that read Mr. Gordon came walking in from a door that Lisa assumed led to the employee's area. "Hello, Madame," he greeted her, "is there anything I can help you with."

Lisa didn't want to be rude, so she decided to ask about their decorations. "Yes, our town is throwing a ball, and I vas vondering vhether you could help me vith the decorations I need."

"Oh, of course, Madame!" Mr. Gordon said excitedly. "As a matter of fact, our specialty is black tie affairs, even though our title would say otherwise. We just might have everything you need."

"Really?" Lisa asked in amazement. "That's vonderful! But how do I order things? I mean, does it come in a package or vat?"

"Well, our services do come in package deals, and each package depends on how many people would be attending your ball. How many are attending your ball?" Mr. Gordon asked.

"Oh, about a hundred people or so." Lisa estimated.

"In that case, I would recommend our deluxe deal. It serves up to a hundred and twenty-five people and in it comes with fifteen round tables complete with chairs, candles, tablecloths and table decorations, faux trees and flowers for the ballroom, a long serving table complete with a serving set, butlers to serve the food, and hourderves, and balloons to top it all, off. Here." Mr. Gordon said as he handed her catalog. "This has wonderful pictures depicting what the deal would come with if you're not convinced. It also comes in different color schemes to match the room where the ball will be held." Mr. Gordon paused to let Lisa have time to browse through the catalog. "So what do you think?"

"Oh, Mr. Gordon, this looks fabulous. I'll take it! Vat do I do now?" Lisa asked excitedly.

"Well," he began, handing her a form, "just fill out your name, the address where you want everything to be delivered, and the color scheme you would like, and we should have everything to you in a day or two."

Lisa filled out the form, thanked him, and headed out the door to meet Alf and Ralph. While she was walking back to the car, Lisa couldn't help but feel proud of herself for accomplishing so much of her task in one day. She realized that she even managed to take care of Alf and Ralph's job of getting food for the ball. She was so excited about relieving Alf and Ralph of their duties that she didn't notice the crestfallen expressions on their faces when she arrived back to the car. They obviously didn't find anybody to cater the ball.

"Hello dere!" Lisa greeted happily. Alf and Ralph looked up at her and managed small smiles.

"Hi, Mrs. Douglas." Alf said. "We failed." Ralph added. "We couldn't find any one that was willing to cater an out-of-town affair."

"I did!" Lisa said proudly as she got into the car. "I got decorations, food, and people to serve the food!"

"You did?" Ralph asked in amazement. "But how?"

"I found a vonderful little shop down the street that decorates weddings and balls like ours. They have everything!" Lisa replied.

"That's great!" Alf said. "Gee, Mrs. Douglas, your husband sure should be glad he has you helping him. You managed to get two jobs done in one day!"

"Thank you, Alf!" Lisa said appreciatively. "Now let's go. I don't vant to make you two late to your job."

At that, Alf started up the car and they began making their way back to Hooterville. As they drove closer towards her home, Lisa got more and more anxious. She couldn't wait to get home and tell Oliver about all that she accomplished. She knew he would be pleased with her, and she just loved to make him happy. Lisa leaned her head against the window and imagined what Oliver would say when she told him the news.


	6. The Ball is Underway

**Douglas Farm**

"Oh that's nice." Oliver said distractedly after Lisa finished filling him in on the day's events. He had been busy catching up on his bookkeeping when Lisa came back from hunting for decorations.

"That's nice!" Lisa asked incredulously. "Is that all you have to say? Dahling, aren't you proud of me?"

"Huh? Oh, of coarse I am, Lisa, but can't you see I'm busy?" Oliver responded.

Lisa couldn't help but feel disappointed at the lack of appreciation from her husband as she began boiling water for her hot water soup. On the one hand, she knew that this farm was Oliver's lifelong dream and was very important to him, but on the other hand, she thought the farm shouldn't be the _only _important thing in his life. He should make time for his family and friends. She couldn't even remember the last time he talked to his mother or the last time they went on a picnic together.

_Oh, well, _Lisa reasoned, _at least I have the ball to look forward to, and then, for at least one nightI can have him all to myself._

Lisa decided that it was best not to disturb Oliver by setting the table since she would just end up being yelled at. She sighed and instead turned to go to the living room to do her nails. As she began to sit down, Lisa heard some scratches at the door. Puzzled, she opened the door and saw Mignon run in and hop onto her favorite chair.

"Mignon!" Lisa exclaimed. "Vhere have you been? It vas like you just disappeared!"

Instead of racking her brain over it, Lisa just shrugged, sat down on the couch, and proceeded to do her nails.

**Douglas Farm, the Following Day**

To Lisa's amazement, the decorations arrived early in the afternoon just a day after she ordered them. Oliver seemed skeptical and insisted on double-checking to make sure everything they ordered was indeed there, and to his further amazement, it was!

"Well, this place is better than I thought! I wonder why I never heard of it." Oliver mused.

"I don't know, dahling, but I'm glad it arrived so soon." Lisa replied. "Now, I can have time to plan vhere I vant everything."

"True. Well, I better call Mr. Haney and have him deliver all this stuff to the civic center." Oliver said. But before he could make a move towards the telephone, Mr. Haney truck pulled up in front of their home, along with most of the dust from the road. The dust engulfed Oliver and Lisa and sent them into a coughing fit. Mr. Haney untied the string he used as a seatbelt and hoped out from his truck.

"Haney!" Oliver yelled between coughs. "You clumsy oaf! You brought in half the dirt from the road!"

"So sorry, Mr. Douglas. Here, let me get that for you!" Mr. Haney said and then proceeded to put out a small duster and began dusting off the dirt from Oliver's vest.

"Will you cut that out!" Oliver said while pushing him and his duster away. "Anyway, I was just about to call you. It still amazes me how you show up at that exact moment that I need something."

"Well, it still amazes me that you always need something when I show up. Anyway, what is it that you need?" Mr. Haney asked.

"Well, as you can see…" Oliver began.

"Excuse me, Mr. Douglas, but I just realized my terrible impoliteness." Mr. Haney interrupted. "I failed to greet your lovely wife. Good afternoon, Mrs. Douglas! My, don't you look as pretty as a little green wagon going up a steep hill!"

"Why, thank you, Mr. Haney! Olivah, vasn't that a nice thing for Mr. Haney to say!" Lisa said to her husband.

"Oh brother!" Oliver said under his breath. "Oh, yes, very nice. Now, Mr. Haney, as I was saying, as you can see, the decorations have arrived and we need you to take them over to the civic center."

"Sure thing, Mr. Douglas." Mr. Haney responded. "Would you like me to load everything onto the truck?"

"Of course." Mr. Douglas replied.

"All right. That'll be ten dollars."

"Ten dollars! For what?"

"Well, as I distinctly remember, you put me on the dee-liver-ee committee. You did not mention anything about loading and unloading. Did you not?"

"Well, no I didn't, but I assumed that…"

"Now that that's settled, I will be glad to deliver all this stuff for the poultry sum of fifteen dollars."

"What happened to ten dollars?" Lisa asked.

"Well, you know that darn inflation, keeps on making prices on everything shoot up faster than sky rockets." Mr. Haney explained.

"Mr. Haney, I'm not giving you a cent! When you and the rest of the appointed me head of the ball committee, you agreed to do what I assigned you to do. Now, I want you to load this stuff on your truck, drop it off at the civic center, and later, when my wife says so, move the stuff around where my wife says so. After that, I need you to drive the food over to the Druker's and tell him to store it in his refrigerator. You got it!" Oliver yelled.

"All right, all right, Mr. Douglas, no need to get testy." Mr. Haney responded. "Uh, would you mind giving me a hand?"

"Certainly." Oliver said as he began lifting boxes of decorations and loading them onto Mr. Haney's truck. Once they got everything on the truck, Oliver walked over to Mr. Haney, who was already seated in his truck and said, "Just put this stuff anywhere, my wife will specify where she wants everything later."

"Sure thing, Mr. Douglas." Mr. Haney replied. "But I can't unload this stuff all by myself."

"Well, don't you worry about that. I'll send Mr. Kimball over to help you." Oliver said.

Oliver walked over to where Lisa was standing as Mr. Haney drove away. "Well, Lisa, the ball is underway. Excited?"

"Very." Lisa replied. Oliver smiled at her, then turned around and walked back into the house.

"I just wish you vere around to share in my excitement." Lisa said to herself in a sad tone. She sighed for what seemed to be the hundredth time in a week and proceeded into the house.

Hello dere, once again! I finally got all the tiny details of the story out of the way! The next two chapters is where the real action begins, so stay tuned and please review!


	7. Eb's Neglection

**The Douglas Farm**

Lisa woke up the next morning to find her husband already gone. She sat up in bed and tried to remember what day it was. _It's Friday,_ Lisa finally remembered, _which means only two more weeks until the ball._ But that was still a long wait, and it seemed that time was passing by slower than usual. _Oh vell, _she thought, _all I can do is find vays to entertain myself._

Lisa remembered that she still needed to make Oliver's breakfast, so she got out of bed and freshened up a bit before heading to the kitchen.

Oliver had already made his coffee when he saw his wife enter the room. "Good morning, dahling," he heard her say in her thick accent. "Good morning, dear," he greeted her back as he leaned up to her to give her a kiss. "How do you sleep?" he asked after receiving it.

"Fine, dahling. Let me start your breakfast. Vhat vould you like?" Lisa asked.

"Eggs would be fine."

"All right. How vould you like them?"

"Fried, please."

"Coming right up." Lisa said cheerfully. She walked over to the refrigerator, only to find that there were no more eggs. She then proceeded to walk outside to find Alice. "Alice! Alice," she called. Before she could call her a third time, Alice the chicken came walking up to Lisa.

"Good morning, Alice. I hate to be a bother, but ve are out of eggs. Ve need four, if you don't mind." Lisa said as she put the empty bowl she was carrying on the ground. As if she knew exactly what her owner wanted, Alice sat down on the bowl and proceeded to lay four perfectly identical eggs. Lisa picked up the bowl, smiled, thanked the chicken, and then turned to go back into the house. Once there, she proceeded to put four whole eggs into a pan and let them "fry".

Oliver looked up and noticed the uncracked eggs in the pan. "Uh, Lisa," he began, "I don't think that's…never mind, I have to go into Drucker's anyway."

"Vhy?" Lisa asked.

"Well, since you already took care of two of the ball committees, I have to go see how the others are coming along, and the only committee left is run by Mr. Drucker and Mr. Kiley."

"Oh," was her only response.

"I have to go. Oh, and I want to be there when Mr. Drucker makes the posters so I probably won't be home for a while, so don't hold lunch for me."

"All right, dahling."

"See you later." Oliver said as he turned to go.

"Olivah!" Lisa exclaimed. "Aren't you going to kiss me goodbye?"

Oliver turned back to her and gave her a peck on the cheek. "It figures." Lisa said sarcastically under her breath.

"What was that?" Oliver asked.

"Nothing. Be careful vhile you drive, dahling." Lisa said.

"I vill." Oliver said mockingly. "Bye."

And once again, Lisa was left alone with nothing to do but wait for the ball to finally arrive.

**Druker's General Store**

Oliver walked in to Mr. Druker's store to find Mr. Drucker sorting mail. "Good morning, Mr. Drucker." Oliver greeted him.

"Oh, good morning, Mr. Douglas. Anything I can do for you?"

"Actually, I came to talk to you about the ball. How's the music committee coming along?"

"Oh, fine. Newt found a great jazz band that can impersonate any artist and can sing any song you like. And for ten dollars extra, they say they'll actually wear tuxedos!"

"Uh, great." Oliver said skeptically. "Anyway, what about the advertisement committee?"

"That's coming along great, too. Here, come to the back. I want to show you something."

Mr. Drucker led Oliver to the back room where he kept a printing machine. He pulled out a copy of his newspaper and showed Oliver an ad in the corner of the first page. It read, "Opening of New Civic Center to be Celebrated with a Ball".

"See, it gives people all the information they need to know. It's going to come out everyday until the day of the ball. What do you think?"

"That's fine, Mr. Drucker. Good work."

"Thanks, Mr. Douglas. Now all that's left to do is make the flyers to put up over the valley. But the only trouble is, I don't know what you want them to look like."

"Well, you're in luck, Mr. Drucker. I cleared the whole afternoon to help you with the ads."

"Great! Then let's get started."

As Mr. Drucker searched for some paper to make plans for the flyers, Oliver couldn't help but marvel at how well everything was going. He was certain that one of the colorful characters here in Hooterville was bound to louse the ball up some how, but apparently he was wrong. This were running a long smoothly and they were ahead of schedule in their planning. _Nothing can go wrong now_, Oliver thought, as they began drawing up the blueprints.

He had no idea how wrong he was.

**The Douglas Farm, late in the afternoon**

Then sun was setting low in the horizon while Lisa was sitting on the couch reading a magazine. She was beginning to wonder what was taking her husband so long when she heard some one sneeze behind her. She turned around to see Eb standing behind, his eyes puffy and watery and his nose red.

"Bless you. My goodness, Eb, is your cold still that bad." Lisa asked concerned.

"I'm afraid so, Mrs. Douglas." Eb said in a congested voice. He blew his nose and tried to take a deep breath but ended up giving himself a coughing fit. Lisa ran into the kitchen, poured a glass of water, and ran back into the living to give it to Eb. He took it from her quickly and took a long sip. After a few more sips, his coughs finally subsided.

"Vhat are you doing out of bed anyvay?" Lisa inquired.

"It's too dark up there. Ever since a fuse blew in my electricity, all I've had as a light source is this old lantern. I can't even read comics after the sun sets anymore. I got bored."

"Eb, that's no excuse. You shouldn't be out of bed vhen you're so sick. You go back to bed straight avay, and I'll bring you your lunch."

"I appreciate the thought, Mrs. Douglas, but I couldn't eat a bite."

"I understand. But before you go, did you take the medicine the doctor gave you?"

"Well...uh…not exactly." Eb confessed sheepishly.

"Eb! You von't get better unless you take your medicine. Now come on. Let's go into the kitchen and take your medicine, then you can take a nice, long nap."

"But Mrs. Douglas, I hate the taste of medicine!"

"No excuses," Lisa said while pouring him the allotted amount. "Now drink."

With a disgusted look on his face, Eb downed the medicine as fast as he could. After making sure he indeed drank all the medicine, Lisa relit Eb's lantern and sent him to bed. "Now, the doctor said the medicine vill make you drowsy, so you don't have to vorry about reading any comics, you should fall asleep right avay."

"Yes, ma'am. Good night." Eb said as he turned to leave.

"Good night, Eb." Lisa responded, handing him his lantern.

Eb took the lantern and headed for his room in the loft in the barn. Eb could already feel the affects of the medicine as he climbed the lantern to his room. _Boy, Mrs. Douglas sure was right about the drowsy part, _he thought to himself as he lay down on his bed. Eb knew he still had to get undressed and turn off his lantern, but at the moment he didn't care. He put his lantern on the side of his bed close to the edge of the loft, laid his head back onto his pillow, and soon he was fast asleep. Eb never would have imagined how great of a disaster that one moment of neglection would cause, for at that moment, his arm, which hung over the edge of the bed, nudged the lantern. The lantern fell over the edge of the loft and landed next to a pile of hay. The lit lantern shattered and exposed flame set the dry hay on fire. Eleanor the cow mooed loudly as if to warn someone of the danger, but Eb was too deep in sleep to notice. In a matter of two minutes, half of the barn was on fire, with Eb and Eleanor trapped inside.


	8. The Fire

Dixie Darlin: Thanks for complimenting my story! It really means a lot to me! I like your story too! It's very interesting; so interesting that I check to see if you have updated it every time I get on the internet! Please update soon and keep reading my story!

**The Douglas Farm**

Lisa was humming to herself while washing the dishes from the dinner she ate alone. Eb was still taking a nap and she assumed that Oliver was still busy with the advertisements. She was just about done when she began to smell smoke. She thought she was just imagining things until Mignon came in barking wildly at the direction of the back door.

"Vhat is it, Mignon? Do you smell the smoke, too?" Lisa asked, picking her up. Lisa was beginning to get a little worried. Usually in these situations, she would send Oliver out to make sure everything was all right, but at the moment she was all alone. She decided that it was a probably nothing but decided to go check just in case. Lisa set Mignon down on the ground and went out the back door. As soon as she stepped out the door, her fears were confirmed. Half the barn was on fire and smoke seemed to be billowing out from all sides.

"Oh my goodness!" Lisa exclaimed to herself. For a moment she didn't know what to do. She turned around and began to run towards the telephone to call the fire department, but she remembered it was Friday, which meant Sara was not at the switchboard. There was no time to run to Drucker's for help and her only neighbors, the Watsons, left to Pixley years ago. _Think, Lisa, think, _she told herself. _What do people around here use to varn the fire department about a fire?_

Suddenly, Lisa had a brain storm. She remembered the early days when Oliver had just become a volunteer fire fighter. He would look up to the sky and keep an eye out for sky rockets! She also remembered him leaving it in the closet in their bedroom. At that, Lisa ran as fast as she could in her heels to the bedroom closet. She quickly searched for the rocket and found it buried under a pile of old blankets. She grabbed it and a couple of matches from the dresser and ran outside once again.

Once outside, Lisa set the rocket on the ground and positioned it to point to the sky. "Oh, please vork!" Lisa pleaded with the rocket as she lit the wick. The rocket ignited, shot off and bursted in the sky as a bright purple firework. As she was kneeling on the ground, Lisa silently prayed to herself that someone would get the message. Then she suddenly remembered something. Eb had not come out of the barn when he realized it was on fire.

"Oh no, he must still be asleep!" Lisa said to herself. She got up and, without a moment's hesitation, ran into the burning barn. She looked around and, to her relief, realized the fire had not had a chance to spread to the loft where Eb lay. She was just about to climb the ladder when she heard a moo. Lisa turned around to see Eleanor still tied up where she always kept her. She quickly untied Eleanor and sent her out the door. She then proceeded to ascend the ladder to rescue Eb.

Once on the loft, Lisa ran over to the edge of Eb's bed and began to call out his name. When that didn't work, she began shaking him. "Eb! Eb," she cried, "please vake up! Ve have to get out of here!" After a couple of more shakes, Eb finally opened his eyes and looked at Lisa. "Mrs. Douglas, what are you doing up here?" Eb sat up groggily and looked around. It took him a while to clear his head, but Eb finally realized the situation they were in. "Holy smoke! Smoke!" he cried. He tried to spring out of bed, but ended up hitting his head on a beam. He rubbed his head and turned to Lisa. "Mrs. Douglas, what's going on? How did this happen?"

"I don't know, but ve have to get out of here, now!" Lisa exclaimed. She then ran over to the ladder and began to descend with Eb behind her waiting for his turn. Lisa was able to make it about the third step when the rotten wood that made up the ladder gave way from the intense heat. The ladder crumbled under Lisa's feet and was ready to take Lisa with it if she hadn't grabbed for the edge of the loft. Eb ran over to where Lisa was hanging and managed to pull her back onto the loft.

"We could always jump off the loft!" Eb said. Simultaneously, they looked over the edge of the loft to find the ground covered with pieces of flaming wood from the roof.

"Or not." Eb said, changing his mind. "Now what do we do?"

Lisa sat and thought for a second while she tried to catch her breath. She looked around for a solution. "I know!" she exclaimed after a couple of seconds. "The vindow! There is a pile of hay just outside the barn! Ve could climb out the vindow, go down to the edge of the roof, and jump into the pile of hay!"

"Good idea! I'll go first to make sure the roof is safe." Eb said. He then stuck his head out the window and pulled himself onto the roof. "Seems pretty solid. Come on." Eb said, extending his hand out to her.

Just as Lisa was about to grab Eb's hand and climb out the window, the loft collapsed, sending Eb's room and Lisa crashing to the ground. Lisa hit the ground hard and banged her head against the floor. She tried to get up but it was no use. She laid her head back and slipped into unconsciousness.

**Drucker's General Store, a little earlier**

Oliver and Mr. Drucker were standing by the printer, waiting to see what the final result of the advertisements would look like. After it was finished, Mr. Drucker pulled out the advertisement and held it up for Oliver to see. "Well, what do you think?" he asked.

Oliver studied it for a minute. "I like it," he finally said. "I like it a lot!"

"Good! Now, we can start making the copies."

Oliver looked at his wristwatch. "Wow, I didn't realize how long I've been here. I better call Lisa and tell her I'll be a little longer." Just as he was about to pick up the receiver, Oliver and Mr. Drucker heard what sounded like a gunshot outside. They looked at each other and ran to the door to see what the source of the sound was. They looked up at the sky and saw a bright purple firework illuminate the sky and then dissolve into nothing.

It had been so long since they've seen one of those that, for a moment, they didn't recognize what the sky rocket meant. Then it hit them like a ton of bricks.

"Holy smoke! Someone's house is on fire!" Mr. Drucker exclaimed first.

"What do we do?" Oliver asked.

"Uh, we, uh, figure out whose house is on fire!" Mr. Drucker finally remembered.

"But how?"

"A long time ago, we gave each family a certain color rocket and wrote down which color they had." Mr. Drucker explained as he ran over to behind the counter and began searching for the list. "Doggone it, where did I put that thing. Ah, here it is!" he exclaimed, pulling out a long list. "Now, let's see who has the purple rocket?" He began scanning the page until he found the color. Oliver could see Mr. Drucker freeze in terror.

"Well," Oliver began, "who has the purple one?"

"Mr. Douglas, you do."

Oliver couldn't believe his ears. _It can't be, _he thought._ We never have fires, it can't be._ But deep down, Oliver could feel that something was terribly wrong. Without a word to Mr. Drucker, Oliver ran out the door and headed straight to the fire station, which was walking distance from Drucker's store. Mr. Drucker caught up with him, and together they ran into the station and began suiting up.

"How do we get the others here?" Oliver asked.

"Trust me, Mr. Douglas, if they live within fifty miles within that rocket they'll be here."

To Oliver's amazement, Mr. Drucker was right. Within minutes, all of the volunteer fire fighters arrived and suited up. All of the volunteers then piled onto the fire engine and sped toward the fire. As soon as they were on there way, those who weren't with Oliver and Mr. Drucker (which was everybody) began asking questions, none of which Oliver heard. All he could think about was Lisa, and pray that she was all right.

**Meanwhile, back at the Douglas Farm**

Eb watched in horror as Lisa fell to the ground. He heard the thud when she landed, saw her stir a bit, and then lie motionless on the ground.

_I have to go down there, _Eb thought. _I have to save her like she saved me._ He began to slide down the slanted roof to jump into the pile of hay and run to the other side and rescue her. But just as he was about to reach the edge, the tile slid from under his feet. He sailed over the edge of the barn roof and landed in the soft pile of hay below, hitting his head on the way down. Eb rolled of the pile of hay and landed on the ground, safe and unconscious.

**The Douglas Farm, several minutes later**

Oliver sighed with relief as he arrived at his farm with the rest of the Hooterville Volunteer Fire Department. It wasn't the house that was on fire, it was the barn. But Oliver's relief was short lived. As he looked around he realized something. Lisa was not outside to greet him.

_Maybe she's in the house_, he thought. _But then what is Eleanor doing outside, she couldn't have escaped by herself. _Oliver tried to reassure himself by telling himself that Lisa probably set Eleanor free and then ran back in the house out of fear. Still, there was something gnawing at him inside, and he soon found out why.

"Mr. Douglas," Alf yelled as he ran over to Oliver, "we found Eb lying unconscious over on the other side of the barn. You should really come look."

Oliver followed Alf over to where Eb lay. He knelt by Eb, who had just woken up and was still confused, and put his hand on his shoulder. "Eb, my wife. Where's my wife?" Oliver asked.

"Your wife? I don't…holy smoke! She's still in the barn! She came into to save me, but got knocked out! She must still be in there!" Eb cried.

Oliver and the others looked over at the barn, which was engulfed in smoke and fire and was collapsing on all sides. Oliver's worst fears were confirmed. His beloved wife was trapped inside the barn and he might never see her again.

Gasp! What will the hero of our story do? Will he stand by and watch helplessly as his wife is taken from him forever? Of coarse not! But how will he ever save her! Stayed tuned to find out!


	9. Oliver to the Rescue

**Douglas Farm**

Oliver stayed in his dumbfounded state for another few seconds, then got up and ran over to the barn. He had to get in their and save Lisa before it was too late. He ran over to the barn door and tried to push it open. Unfortunately, a beam had fallen from the roof of the barn and landed right in front of the door, making it impossible to push it open.

Desperate, Oliver looked around and tried to find another way in. His eyes scanned the area and stopped on the axes hanging on the fire truck. Oliver ran over to them, grabbed one, and ran back to the barn. He went over to the side of the barn that suffered the least damage from the fire so far and looked through one of the slits in between the boards. Seeing that the area in front of the wall had not yet caught fire, Oliver began chopping at the wood in order to make a second entrance to the barn.

"Help me!" Oliver screamed at the other fire fighters standing nearby him. They immediately ran over to the truck, grabbed the remaining axes, ran back to Oliver, and began hacking at the wood themselves. It didn't take much effort for the men to chop at the rotten wood, and in a matter of no time, there was a man-sized hole in the side of the barn.

Without further hesitation, Oliver ran into the blazing barn. The smoke and the intense heat hit Oliver like a ton of bricks, and it took Oliver awhile to get a hold of himself. Once Oliver's coughing and wheezing subsided a little, he began to walk around carefully and search for his wife.

"Lisa," he yelled between coughs, "Lisa, where are you!" After a few minutes of searching, Oliver could make out a faint figure lying on the ground about five feet away from him. He ran over to Lisa and knelt beside her. He tried to shake her a little to wake her up, but to no avail. Oliver then put down his axe and scooped Lisa up in his arms. Holding her close, Oliver ran out through the hole he made in the barn. After he was sure he was a safe distance away from the burning barn, Oliver fell to his knees and laid his wife gently on the ground while cradling her head in his lap.

"Lisa," he cried. "Lisa, wake up! Please, wake up! You're safe now, please wake up.!"

Mr. Drucker ran over to where Oliver was kneeling. "Mr. Douglas, the fire's almost out, and we might be able to salvage your…" he trailed off when he realized that Lisa had not woken up. "Mr. Douglas, is she okay?" he asked.

"I don't know! She's not waking up!" Oliver said, beginning to panic. "We have to get her to a hospital."

Oliver picked Lisa up again and ran over to his car. "Alf!" he yelled. Upon hearing his name, Mr. Kimball ran over to his side. "Alf, can you drive us to the hospital?"

"I would, but I don't know where it is!" Alf said apologetically. Ralph ran over when she realized what was happening. "I drive you," she volunteered.

"Thanks," Oliver replied. "Alf, would you please get Eb over here quickly. We have to make sure he's all right, too."

Alf ran to where Eb was still sitting on the ground. He helped him up and escorted him over to Oliver's car, where everyone was already ready to go. Alf opened the door to the front seat and helped Eb in. Once safely secure, Ralph started up the car and shot off towards the hospital.

"Don't worry," Ralph said, "I'll have you there in no time." Oliver was barely listening anymore. He was seated in the back with Lisa, who was stretched out across the back seat with her head in Oliver's lap. _Please wake up_, he pleaded with her silently, _please be okay, you have to be okay!_ Oliver began to feel panic spreading through again. What if they didn't get to the hospital in time? What if the last time he spent with Lisa was that five minute breakfast they had that morning? What if that was the last time he would ever talk to her again? _NO, _he told himself,_ don't think like that! She'll be fine! She'll wake up and we'll be together again. Everything will go back to normal. She'll wake up. Won't she?_

The car came to a sudden halt. Oliver looked up to see that they were in front of the Pixely Emergency Hospital. Oliver picked Lisa up and ran into the building. Inside, he began to yell, "Help! My wife, she needs help!"

Immediately, several doctors and a nurse with a stretcher ran to their aid. Oliver laid Lisa on the stretcher and ran along side them as they began rolling Lisa away.

"What happened?" one of the doctors asked.

"Uh, fire. Big fire. In the barn." Oliver answered incoherently. "Is she going to be okay," Oliver asked.

"We can't be sure unless you tell us exactly what happened to her," the doctor said. He stopped running along side the stretcher and prevented Oliver from going any further as well. The stretcher carrying Lisa sped down the hall and disappeared through the double doors that led to the operating room.

"I don't know! I wasn't there!" Oliver cried. "Asked my hired hand once they bandage him up. He was there! Now just tell me, is she going to be all right!"

"We're not sure yet. Now, please sir, go wait in the waiting room while we help your wife."

"Wait! Is that all I'm supposed to do? Sit and wait!"

"Yes, that's all you can do for the sake of your wife. If you want her to get better, you have to stand back and let us help her."

Oliver knew the doctor was right. He mumbled a thank you to the doctor and headed toward the waiting room. Once there, Oliver sat down in a chair and stared out into space, not believing that any of this was happening to him. After a while, he put his face in his hands and wept, not caring if anyone was there to watch him. He cried from his heart, feeling as if he would never stop.


	10. Lisa's Condition

**Pixley Emergency Hospital**

After Oliver cried had out all the tears he had in him, he had begun pacing around the room anxiously like a tiger trapped in a cage. He felt like he had been pacing in the waiting room at the emergency hospital for what seemed like an eternity, yet still, no one had come to tell him how his wife was doing. He didn't know what to do with himself. He felt like he was going to burst if he didn't find out something soon.

Suddenly, the door swung open and Oliver stopped dead in his tracks. To his disappointment, it was Eb followed by Ralph and the rest of the volunteer fire department.

"Oh, it's you guys." Oliver said.

"Try not to sound so glad to see us." Ralph said sarcastically.

"Sorry, it's just that I was hoping it was one of my wife's doctors."

"We understand." Mr. Drucker responded sympathetically. "And we brought good news. We were able to put out the fire before it totally engulfed your barn. It needs a little repair, but all in all, your barn's still standing.

"That's great." Oliver responded distractedly.

"Still no word?" Mr. Kiley asked sadly.

"No, and it's driving me crazy." Oliver responded. He looked up and noticed all the bandages on Eb. "Are you all right, Eb?"

"Oh, I'm fine. Just a couple of scrapes and a bump on the head." Eb reassured him.

"What exactly happened in that barn?" Mr. Drucker asked. Oliver, who had been wondering the same thing himself, stopped pacing and sat down listen to his response.

"Well," Eb began, "I don't remember everything, on a count of my bump on the head, but I remember going to sleep after I took my medicine for my cold. Then the next thing I remember was Mrs. Douglas telling me that we need to get out of the barn 'cause it was on fire. We tried to go down the ladder, but it fell apart. Then Mrs. Douglas suggested we go out the winder and jump into the pile of hay by the barn. I went out first to make sure it was safe and then tried to help Mrs. Douglas get out, but before she could get out, the loft collapsed and she fell. I was gonna go down and get her, but the tiles slid from under me and I fell. That's all I remember."

Oliver sat back in his chair in horror. _Poor Lisa, _Oliver thought. _She has to go through all this just because she tried to save a loved one. It just doesn't seem fair._

A doctor walked into the waiting room and interrupted his thoughts. Oliver jumped up from his chair and ran over to the doctor. "Doctor, my wife, is she all right?"

There was a long pause from the doctor which seemed to last for years for Oliver. Then he finally found his words. "Well, there's some good news and some bad news. The good news is we were able to get her condition stable and were able to treat the minor things."

"Such as?" Oliver asked anxiously.

"Such as the scrapes and burns. And we were able to get all the smoke out of her lungs and get her breathing on her own again."

"Then what's the bad news?" Oliver asked dreadfully.

"Well, your wife suffered a pretty severe blow to the head and obtained a concussion which has put her in a coma. There is a good chance that she will awake from her coma, but the longer she doesn't wake up, the less chance there is of that happening." The doctor paused for a moment to hear Oliver's response.

Oliver could do nothing but stand there and stare. He couldn't believe it. He just couldn't believe it. There was no way that this could be happening to him. He was a good person. His wife was a good person. She didn't deserve this. Neither of them did. The doctor's voice brought Oliver back to reality. "Do you have any questions, Mr. Douglas?"

"Can I see her?" Oliver asked.

"Of course. She's in room 219, down the hall."

Without another word to anyone, Oliver ran down the hall until he arrived in front of Lisa's door. He paused for a moment to gather his composure, then carefully pushed the door open and slowly entered the room. What he saw next nearly broke his heart.

Lisa was lying in the hospital bed surrounded by numerous machines. Her face suffered no injury, but there were numerous bandages on her arms and hands. There was a wire running from her to a heart monitoring machine, which was beeping steadily. If Oliver didn't know better, he would say she was sleeping. She looked so peaceful, her hands folded on her stomach and her chest rising and falling steadily as she breathed.

Oliver walked over to a chair that was near Lisa's bed and sat down. He took Lisa's hand, brought it to his lips and kissed it.

"Hi, Lisa," he whispered to her, "I'm here."

He then rested his elbows on her bed and cupped her hand in his hands. He leaned his forehead against his hands and, for the second time in one day, cried his heart out.


	11. At the Hospital

**Pixley Emergency Hospital**

Oliver woke up with a start at the sound of the door to Lisa's room swinging open. He thought he had only fallen asleep in the chair by Lisa's bed for a few minutes, but when he looked around, he could see the sun shining in through the windows, indicating that it was the next morning. Oliver sat up and tried to straighten himself up a bit as Eb, Ralph, Alf, Mr. Drucker, Mr. Haney, Mr. Kimball, Mr. and Mrs. Ziffel and Mr. Kiley all piled into Lisa's private room.

"Hi, Mr. Douglas," they all said collectively. A solemn silence followed as they gazed upon Lisa.

"Hello everyone." Oliver responded. He looked at his watch and realized what time it was. "What are you all doing here so early?"

"Well, we wanted to come see Mrs. Douglas last night, but they wouldn't let us in on a count of us not being family." Mr. Haney explained. "They told us to come during normal visiting hours, which start at 7 am."

"Any change?" Mr. Drucker asked.

"No." Oliver responded sadly. "She isn't any worse, but she isn't any better either."

Another solemn silence fell over the crowd. No one knew what to say at moments like those, mostly because moments like those never happened in their peaceful little valley. They had occasional robberies and kidnappings, but nothing ever this grave. People they cared for never got hurt. They were safe in their own crazy little world, but now, nothing felt the same.

"I appreciate you all coming out to see her." Oliver said trying to ease up the tension. "It was really very nice of you."

"You kidding! Mrs. Douglas was, or is, our friend. We all care about her and wanted to know how she was doing."

"And we brought these." Mr. Drucker said as he motioned toward the door. "All right Ben, bring 'em in!"

At that, Mr. Miller walked in pushing a cart full of flowers, cards, and stuffed animals. Everyone walked over to the cart and picked out the gift they had purchased for Lisa. They then turned to face Oliver and present the gifts they had brought.

"We wanted to surprise you. You surprised?" Eb asked.

"Yes." Oliver said. "They're all really lovely gifts, but you really didn't have to buy anything."

"We know we didn't have to, we wanted to. You're not the only one who cares for you wife." Alf pointed out.

Oliver looked at all of them graciously. "Thank you," he choked out, "I'm sure Lisa would love them."

As he watched the townsfolk walk around and place their gifts around the room, Oliver couldn't help but feel overwhelmed. He never realized how much these people really loved his wife. She must have really made an impact on them.

_See, Lisa_, he spoke to his wife telepathically, _these people really love you. They brought you gifts. Please wake up and see. Please._

Oliver tried to put on a brave face and smile at his friends as they decorated the room, but inside, he was being tormented. And although the room was looking a lot cheery than it had before, Oliver knew he would never be able to truly enjoy it until Lisa woke up.


	12. Still No Change

**Pixley Emergency Hospital**

Oliver sat by Lisa's bed and held her hand as he had been doing ever since her accident. The warmth radiating from her hand let him know that she was still with him. He knew that he could easily tell that she was alive by the beeping of the heart monitor or the rising and falling of her chest, but those things only told his mind. The warmth of her touch let his heart know it too.

It had been a week since Lisa fell into her coma, and there was still no sign of her waking up. The words of the doctor kept ringing in Oliver's ears, _there is a good chance that she will awake from her coma, but the longer she doesn't wake up, the less chance there is of that happening._ Oliver just couldn't get it out of his head.

As he looked at her lovely face, Oliver began to reminisce about all the wonderful times they shared. He remembered the first time they met, in Hungary, during the war. He remembered how she saved his life from the Nazis, and how happy he was when they were reunited after the war.

He remembered their wedding, and how beautiful Lisa looked in her white wedding dress as she walked down the aisle towards him.

He recalled all the adventures they had been through since they were married, all the good times and the bad. He remembered how, no matter how bad things seemed, he could always count on her to make them better. How, as long as they were together, they could get through anything.

_Stop it, _Oliver's head screamed, _stop thinking about her like she's already gone._ _She's not gone. She's still here with you._

Oliver's thoughts were again interrupted by Eb. Eb poked his head in the room and asked, "Can I come in?"

"Of course." Oliver responded, and motioned for him to take the seat next to him. Eb handed him a cup of coffee.

"Thanks. What are you doing out there anyway? I thought you went home already."

"I have no one to go home to. You know Mr. Douglas, you really should go out and get a bite to eat. You haven't left the hospital since you went back to the farm to get your and your wife's clothes."

"I can't go home. What if she wakes up and I'm not here. She'll think I didn't care about her."

Eb was about to protest, but saw that it was no use. Just then, one of Lisa's doctors walked in.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Douglas. It's time to check your wife's condition."

"Of course, go right ahead." Oliver responded. Oliver and Eb stood up to get out of the doctors way. After the doctor finished checking the machines, he told Oliver his diagnosis. "Still no change, I'm afraid."

"I didn't think so." Oliver said sadly.

The doctor noticed his disappointment. "You know what you could do that might help. You could try talking to her."

"Talking to her?" Oliver asked skeptically. "What good would that do?"

"Well, in these cases, sometimes the person in the coma responds to the voices of their love ones."

"All right, doctor. I'll try anything."

The doctor smiled and left the room. Oliver took his normal position by her bedside and then looked at Eb. "Eb, would you mind giving me some privacy?"

"No problem, Mr. Douglas. I'll be in the waiting room if you need me."

Once Eb was gone, Oliver took Lisa's hand and began holding a normal conversation with his wife.


	13. Sleeping Beauty Awakes

**Pixley Emergency Hospital**

Oliver had been talking to his unconscious wife for hours, but he saw no sign of response. He was beginning to get frustrated. He was about to give up when the doctor who gave him the advice walked in.

"Any luck," the doctor asked.

"None whatsoever." Oliver responded dryly.

The doctor noted the frustration in his tone. "Don't give up, Mr. Douglas. She can hear you. I'm sure of it. It's just a matter of saying the right thing to draw her back out."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I believe there are two sides to comas, the medical side and the spiritual side. Now, what we have been working on so far is the medical side of the coma. Maybe, it's time you try healing her from the spiritual side."

"And what does that have to do with me talking to her?" Oliver asked.

"Well, your wife being in a coma means that she is basically lost within herself. You talking to her can help find her way back to you. But in order to do that, you must say something that will touch her deep enough. Do you understand what I am saying?"

"I think so. Thank you, doctor."

"Anytime. I'm glad I could be of some help. You seem like a good person. So does your wife."

"Thank you and she is." Oliver responded with a smile. The doctor returned the smile and walked out of the room.

Oliver turned back to Lisa and stared at her while he thought. What could he possibly say to reach out to her? _Just say what's in your heart_, a voice within him said.

_What's in my heart, what's in my heart_, Oliver thought._ What exactly is in my heart?_ Oliver realized he never really explored what was really deep down in his heart. He hadn't exactly been a robot, but he knew he hadn't been an open book either. He wasn't sure he could do it.

_You have to_, the voice said, _for Lisa's sake._ Oliver knew his conscious was right. He sat for another moment to think then shut of his brain and let his heart did the talking.

"Lisa," he began, "I know I haven't been a very good husband lately. I've been neglecting you and spending all my time on the farm. We haven't gone out or really talked to each other for quite some time. As a matter of fact, this is the most I have talked to you in months. It's just that, I waited so long to finally have the farm of my dreams, the life of my dreams. I was so blinded by that goal that I forgot that you were a major part of that dream, not just the farm. I sacrificed so much time to accomplish one part of my dream that I never noticed that the most important part of it was slipping away from me."

Oliver paused when he realized he was making no sense.

"Sorry, I know I'm rambling. It's just that I never really spoke from the heart before and I have so many thoughts and feelings flying out at once. What I'm really trying to say is that I love you. I love you more than anything else on this earth, the farm and all. I realize now that accomplishing my goals mean nothing unless your there to share it with me. And I promise that if you come back to me, I will spend more time with you and put our relationship above all else. But first you have to come back to me, Lisa. Please come back to me. Please!" Oliver began to plead with her.

Oliver paused for a moment, but again saw nothing. He had spoken from the heart and got nowhere. Now he was convinced that there was no hope. He kissed her softly on her lips and then laid his head on her bed and began to cry again.

Suddenly, Oliver felt a hand on his. For a while he was convinced he was imagining things, so he continued to lay face down on the bed. Then he heard a familiar voice.

"Olivah," Lisa said in a small voice. "Oliver, vhere are ve?"

Oliver picked up his head and stared at Lisa in disbelief.

"Olivah, you're crying. Please, don't cry. I hate it vhen you cry." Lisa put her hand to his face and wiped away the tears. Her touch snapped him out of his reverie.

"Lisa! Lisa, you're awake! You're awake! Doctor! Doctor!" Oliver ran to the door and yelled for the doctor. Instantly, the doctor ran in and smiled when he saw the cause of Oliver's excitement.

"Well, sleeping beauty finally awakes." The doctor walked over to Lisa's bed and began checking her over. "Here vitals are normal," he said once he was done. "How are you feeling, Mrs. Douglas?"

"Vell, I'm rather hungry."

The doctor smiled. "That's a good sign. I'll see if I can get you some dinner." The doctor left the room to give them some privacy.

"Olivah, vhat happened?" Lisa asked once the doctor was gone. "Vhy vere crying vhen I voke up?"

"You don't remember what happened?" Oliver asked, concerned.

"Vell, I remember the fire in the barn and I remember falling, but after that, I don't remember a thing."

"Honey, you hit your head and were in a coma for a week."

"Vhat!" Lisa asked, shocked at the news.

"Yes, you've been here for a week and scared us all to death. We thought we lost you."

"Oh, my poor dahling, I'm sorry I vorried you so." Lisa said.

"None of that matters now. You're back, and I couldn't be happier."

Lisa smiled as Oliver bent down to her and kissed her, long and sweet.

Reluctantly, Oliver pulled away and said, "I better go call everyone and tell them the good news. I'll be right back." Oliver walked out of the room and into the hall.

As Oliver walked down the hall, Oliver realized he had never been happier in his life. He was so excited to have his wife back, he thought he was going to burst with excitement. He felt like running to the roof of that hospital and shouting out to the world that he had his wife back. Instead, Oliver went to the payphone and excitedly called everyone he could think of to tell them that Lisa was all right and she had come back to him.

Yay! Lisa's awake! What a surprise…not! Come on! Who honestly thought I was going to let my favorite character die! Hee Hee! Anyway, keep reading, the drama and the romance isn't over yet! Oh, and please review!


	14. Lisa's Going Home

**Pixley Emergency Hospital, the following morning**

"Oooo, look at these ones Olivah! Aren't they lovely?" Lisa asked as she examined all the flowers she had received. Oliver just smiled and sat back contently, watched her every reaction. Every since Lisa had woken up, Oliver made sure he appreciated every little detail about Lisa. The days when Lisa was still in a coma, Oliver realized how many things he missed about her. Her smile, her laugh, her malapropisms, her embrace, the sound of her voice; the whole time she was gone, his heart ached for those simple things. Now that she was back, he wasn't about to take it for granted.

"Hi, Lisa," a nurse greeted as she entered, "I don't mean to disturb you but another bouquet of flowers just arrived for you."

"Oh, your not disturbing me, Brenda." Lisa said cheerfully. "And thank you for delivering my flowers."

"No problem, Lisa. Where would you like me to put them?"

"Oh, just give them to me. Thank you." The nurse handed Lisa the flowers and headed for the door. "Oh, before I go here," the nurse said while handing Lisa a small plate. "I snuck you a piece of cake from the nurse's lounge. It's chocolate."

"Oh, my favorite. Thank you, Brenda." The nurse smiled then left the room.

"The hospital staff has become quite found of you."

"Vell, they're nice people. I vonder who these are from." Lisa pondered as she turned her attention back to the flowers. "Oh, they're from your mother! How did she know I vas in the hospital?"

"I told her. I thought she should know. I also tried to call your mother but I couldn't get a hold of her."

"Dahling, there vas no reason to upset your mother."

"Well, I wasn't planning on telling her, but she called the second day of your coma wanting to talk to you. I had to tell her. She was so upset; she took the first plane over here just to see you."

"Mother vas here! Oh, dear! I didn't vant her to see me like this! How upset vas she?"

"Very upset. She stayed the whole day and held her hand and cried so much. It nearly broke my heart to see her so upset."

"Oh, dear. Vell, I'm better now. And as soon as possible she can come down and we could spend the whole day together."

"That sounds like a nice idea." Oliver said as he smiled at her.

Lisa was about to pick up another bouquet of flowers when the doctor walked in. "Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Douglas."

"Good morning." Oliver and Lisa responded.

"Mrs. Douglas, I have some good news. Your test results are back. Everything checks out normal and you can go home as soon as your husband checks you out!"

"Oh, doctor that's vonderful! Did you here that, Olivah! I'm going home!" Lisa said excitedly.

"Yes I did. That's great! No offense, doctor, but I can't wait to get out of here! I'll go check you out right now!"

"Just a minute, Mr. Douglas. Before you take her home, there are some things that you have to know. Just because Lisa has awakened from her coma, doesn't mean she's completely cured. Because of the severe blow to her head, for the next few days, your going to have to take special care of her."

"What do you mean?" Oliver asked.

"Well, your wife is going to have headaches and dizzy spells if she strains herself. For example, if she is over-exposed to heat, gets up to fast from sitting or lying down for an extended period of time, or over-exerts with chores or exercise, she runs the risk of getting headaches, getting dizzy, and even fainting."

"Well, what do I do?" Oliver asked.

"Oh, just make sure she doesn't spend to much time in front of the stove, make sure she gets out of bed or out of a chair slowly, and have someone take over the household chores for a couple of days."

"Vill I be able to go to the ball?" Lisa asked.

"When is it?"

"This coming Friday." Oliver answered.

"Oh, I'm sure she'll be fine by then. Now, before you go, make sure you get this prescription filled," the doctor said while writing it down on a slip of paper. "Mrs. Douglas, you are to take one of these pills every time you get a bad headache or dizzy spell, but do not take them within a five hour span of each other, otherwise you run the risk of overdosing."

"Yes, doctor. Now can I go?" Lisa asked excitedly.

The doctor laughed. "Yes you can go."

"I'll go check us out." Oliver said. He walked out of the room and down the hall toward the front desk.

_My wife's going to be all right,_ Oliver said to himself, _and she's coming home!_


	15. Lisa's Homecoming

**On the Country Road**

Eb had come to pick them up as soon as he found out that Lisa was allowed to come home. They were now making their way back to the farm. Eb was driving and Oliver was sitting with Lisa in the back seat.

"Oh, Dahling, I'm so glad to be going home." Lisa said excitedly.

"I'm glad you're going home, too." Eb responded with a smile.

"I believe she was talking to me." Oliver said.

"Oh, sorry, I thought she was talking to me." Eb replied.

"Since when are you called Darling?"

"Since Darlene and I started going steady!"

"Oh brother!" Oliver said good-naturedly. "Just keep driving."

"How are things on the farm?" Lisa piped in, trying to change the subject.

"I don't know. I haven't been there for days. I can imagine what a wreck it is." Oliver said.

"Not at all, Mr. Douglas. Your farm is no more a wreck then when you left it!" Eb said.

"What do you mean by that!" Oliver asked.

"I mean that while you were gone, we took care of it for you."

"Who's we?" Oliver inquired.

"Me and basically everybody else in town."

"Are you serious?" Oliver asked incredulously.

"Yeah! Mr. Haney, Mr. Ziffel, Mr. Miller, and Mr. Kiley would come over and we would do all of the farm chores and some of their wives would come over and do all the household chores. Mr. Drucker kept your refrigerator stocked with food. Arnold even came over and kept Mignon company!"

"And they did all that vithout being asked?" Lisa asked.

"Yeah! I didn't even ask them to do it!" Eb replied.

"Olivah, vasn't that sweet of them?" Lisa asked.

"It sure was! See, what did I tell you about farm people! They really care about you and are always willing to lend a hand." Oliver said proudly.

"Look, Olivah, ve're almost home!" Lisa said excitedly.

Oliver looked up to see that she was right. They were driving through the gates that led to their farm. Within minutes, they pulled up in front of their home. Oliver got out first and held his hand out for Lisa to help her out of the car.

"Be careful, honey. Remember what the doctor said. Don't get up too quickly." Oliver said.

"Yes, dahling." Lisa said, compliantly, touched by his concern. Lisa took Oliver's hand and stepped out of the car gingerly. Oliver smiled, looped arms with her and escorted her to the house.

Just then, Eb ran past them and into the house. "I wonder why he's so anxious to get in." Oliver said to Lisa. They arrived at the door, opened it and stepped into a dark room.

"What the…" Oliver began as he turned out the lights. He was interrupted by his friends jumping out from the hiding places.

"Surprise!" they all yelled simultaneously. Oliver nearly jumped out of his skin in surprise.

"Happy Birthday!" Mr. Kimball added.

"No, you dum-dum! It's not a birthday party. It's a welcome home party!" Mr. Drucker said.

"Oh, well, that's a different story. Who left?" Mr. Kimball asked with a dumbfounded expression.

"No one left, it's for…oh never mind!" Mr. Drucker said exasperated. He turned his attention back to Oliver and Lisa. "We're all so glad you're better, Mrs. Douglas."

"Oh, my goodness. This is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me." Lisa said. She took a look around at all they had done for her. There were balloons and streams hanging from every corner of the room. A banner hung over the door that led to the kitchen which read, "Welcome Home, Mrs. Douglas!" There was punch and snacks neatly set up on the table. Everyone wore party hats and had noise makers.

"You all did this, just for my wife?" Oliver asked.

"Of course! We were all so glad that she was coming home and we had to celebrate some how!" Mrs. Ziffel said.

Mr. Drucker walked over to Lisa and place a tiara on top of her head. "And this is for the guest of honor!"

"I…I…I don't know vhat to say!" Lisa said, tears welling up in her eyes.

"I do." Oliver spoke up.

"Of course you do!" Mr. Ziffel said teasingly. Everybody laughed.

Oliver smiled, knowing perfectly well that they were referring to the numerous times he made speeches about the American farmer. "I just wanted to say that I appreciate all that you did for my wife and me. And I'm not just talking about the party; I'm talking about taking care of our farm and our home as well. You're selfless acts of kindness have shown how much you really care about us and we are truly touched. My wife and I wouldn't trade your friendships for anything. We love you all, very, very much."

Silence followed Oliver's touching speech. No one knew what to do in those kinds of situations, but there was not a dry eye in the place.

Finally, Alf spoke up. "Well, are we going to have a party or not?"

Everybody laughed and that seemed to break the ice again. Lisa began walking around the room, greeting and hugging her guests, and everyone began having conversations with one another. Oliver stood back awhile, not quite ready to converse with the others yet, he was still too taken back by what just occurred.

Oliver just couldn't believe how much his neighbors really cared about them. He couldn't believe that they would sacrifice their own time to take care of his farm, and topping it off by throwing a surprise party for his wife. He just couldn't get over the shock.

Oliver looked around the room at his friends talking and laughing with one another. He smiled, and then got up to join his wife amongst his friends.

Ahhh, that was really nice of the Hootervillians! They really care about Oliver and Lisa! Anyway, stay tuned! The party is about to take a dramatic turn!


	16. Who's to Blame

**The Douglas Farm**

Oliver was having one of the best times he ever had at a party. His friends were being their usual irritating selves, but at the moment, Oliver didn't seem to care. He was just so happy about the occasion. He looked over at his wife, who was relaxing on a couch, and smiled at her. Lisa met his gaze and smiled back. She then turned back to her conversation with the other wives.

Oliver was just about to go get some more punch when Alf and Mr. Drucker came up to him. "Hello, Mr. Douglas!" they greeted him.

"Oh, hello gentlemen. Is there something I can do for you?"

"We just thought you should know that we found the cause of your fire."

"Really, what was it?" Oliver asked nervously. Secretly, Oliver had been feeling terribly guilty for the past couple of days. He was fairly certain that it was the shorted out wire in Eb's room that he had neglected to fix. If it was, Oliver thought there was no way he would ever be able to forgive himself for putting his wife in danger.

"Well, it turned out to be this." Mr. Drucker said as he held up a charred lantern. "We are pretty sure that is was still lit when it landed in the dry hay. It set the hay on fire and then spread to the rest of the barn."

"This looks like Eb's lantern. But that's impossible; he would know better that to leave the lantern burning unattended." Oliver said disbelievingly. He decided to call Eb over and investigate for himself. "Eb!" Oliver called.

Eb came running to where Oliver was from the kitchen. "Yeah, dad?" he asked.

"I'm not your…oh, never mind." Oliver took the burnt lantern from Mr. Drucker and held it up for Eb to see. "Is this your lantern?"

"Yeah, what did you do to it!" Eb asked, shocked.

"Eb, Alf and Mr. Drucker said that it may have been the cause of the fire. How is that?"

Eb was taken aback. "That can't be, Mr. Douglas. I always put out the lantern before I go to bed."

"Always?" Oliver asked.

"Yes. And I distinctly remember…no, I don't distinctly remember." Eb said.

"What do you mean?" Oliver asked, beginning to feel the anger rise inside him.

"Well, let's see, I remember going up to my room after taking my medicine and I remember getting really sleepy. I remember putting the lantern on the side of the bed and lying down. The next thing I remember is Mrs. Douglas waking me up to tell me there was a fire."

"So you don't remember putting your lantern out before you went to bed?" Mr. Drucker asked.

Eb turned to Mr. Drucker and said, "I guess not." Eb turned back to face Oliver and nearly jumped in fright. Oliver's face was beet red and his eyes were filled with rage.

"EB, YOU STUPID, IDIOTIC, IRRESPONSIBLE, KNUCKLE-HEAD!" Oliver yelled at the top of his lungs. That caught everyone's attention, and the room fell deadly silently. Everyone had seen Oliver angry before, but never quite that angry. No one dared to move.

"Olivah, vhat is the matter?" Lisa asked, frightened.

"This…this…this idiot was responsible for the fire!" Oliver yelled a little less intensely. His eyes, however, were still filled with rage.

"Vhat!" Lisa asked in disbelief.

"Mrs. Douglas, I am _so_ sorry. It was an…" Eb began to apologize to Lisa, but Oliver stepped in front of her, cutting off Eb's view and apology.

"You have nothing to say to her!" Oliver said.

"Mr. Douglas, please believe me! It was an accident! I never meant to hurt anybody, much less your wife! Please believe me!" Eb pleaded.

"Eb, how could you do this to me, to us? How could you be so careless?" Oliver asked, still outraged.

"I'm sorry." Eb said sadly.

"Sorry! SORRY!" Oliver yelled again. "Is that all you have to say!"

"What else can I say!" Eb replied.

"Don't you realize what you could have done!"

"Olivah, please!" Lisa jumped up from her seat to stop Oliver from getting out of hand, but she got up too fast. She became dizzy, swayed a little, and then began to fall. Oliver ran over to her and caught her before she had a chance to fall. He gently sat her back on the chair and turned back to Eb.

"See! See what you did to her!

"I didn't mean to." Eb said.

"I don't care whether you meant it or not! Because of you, my wife could have died!" Oliver yelled, tears welling up in his eyes.

Stunned silence followed Oliver's statement. It had finally hit everyone that someone they loved really could have died. They knew that they had come close to losing Lisa, but in the back of everyone's mind, they thought there was no way she could have really died. Now, it had finally become a reality.

Eb had never felt so horrible in his life. _He's right_, Eb thought sadly, _I could have killed the one person who always stuck up for me_. Eb wished that the earth would open up and swallow him right now, just to put him out of his misery. Eb looked at Oliver, then at Lisa, and then ran out the door and into the fields to be alone.

It was obvious that the party was over, so everyone shuffled out of the house quietly. Lisa still hadn't quite recovered from her dizzy spell, but she felt she had to tell him something. "Olivah…" she began, but Oliver interrupted her.

"Lisa, I can't hear it right now. I need some time to think." Oliver grabbed his keys and headed outside to the car.

"Vhere are you going?" Lisa asked.

"I don't know. But I'll be back for dinner." Oliver said. Then without another word, he headed out the door.

Lisa was about to jump up and go after him, but figured it was no use. Instead, she went to the bedroom, laid down in her bed, and cried.


	17. Oliver's Realization

**The Douglas Farm, later that evening**

Lisa was putting her hotcake batter on the stove when she heard the front door open. She ran to the living room and saw Oliver closing the door.

"Olivah!" Lisa exclaimed. "Vhere have you been? I vas beginning to get worried."

"I'm sorry, honey. I didn't mean to leave you on your first night home. I guess I wasn't thinking clearly." Oliver said.

"I'll say." Lisa replied sarcastically.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Oliver asked, shocked at the tone she used.

"Olivah, you had no reason to yell at Eb like that!" Lisa said angrily. She realized her dinner was going to burn if she did not attend to it, so she turned around and headed for the kitchen, with Oliver at her heels.

"What do you mean I had no right to yell at him! He was the one who caused the fire that nearly killed you!" Oliver yelled.

"Stop yelling, you're giving me a headache." Lisa said as she put her fingers to her temples.

Oliver immediately regretted losing his temper. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. It's just that every time I think about Eb's negligence, I get angry all over again."

"Olivah, you vere too hard on the boy. He hasn't been home for hours. I'm starting to vorry about him."

"I'm glad he's not home. I don't want him near you ever again."

"You're being unreasonable."

"I am not!" Oliver replied angrily. He sat down in his usual spot at the kitchen table and crossed his arms in front of his chest in a stubborn manner.

Lisa scowled and returned to her cooking, but after a while in front of the hot stove, her vision began to blur and she suddenly felt very dizzy. She leaned on the refrigerator for support. Oliver quickly took notice.

"Lisa, are you all right?" Oliver got up from his chair and walked over to her.

"I'm all right. I think the heat from the stove just got me a little dizzy."

"Here, come sit down." Oliver said as he led her to the chair he had been sitting at. Lisa sat down and began taking deep breaths to make the room stop spinning. She leaned her head on her hands and closed her eyes.

"Let me get you some water." Oliver said.

"No, dahling, I'm fine. It's just a small dizzy spell. It's going away."

"Are you sure?"

Lisa nodded. The room grew still again and her vision returned to normal.

"Now see what Eb did to you!" Oliver added stubbornly.

"Olivah, nobody did this to me. It vas an accident. And I think you know that as vell as I do."

"Well…maybe." Oliver replied, finally relenting a little.

"Dahling, deep down, there is something wrong that made you vant to put the blame on someone else, isn't there."

"Well….maybe." he said, relenting a little more.

"You blame yourself, don't you?" Lisa pried.

"Well…maybe." Oliver replied. He looked into her eyes. "Oh Lisa, I've been a fool."

Lisa got up from her chair slowly, walked over to Oliver, and then put her arms around him and rested her head on his shoulder. Oliver wrapped his arms around her waist and held her tight.

"I know it wasn't Eb's fault. I've known all along. It's just that I came so close to losing you. It terrified me. And deep down, I blamed myself for not being there when you needed me most. I needed to put the blame on someone else, or I would go crazy."

Lisa picked up her head and looked into his eyes. "Olivah, you mustn't blame yourself for vhat happened to me. It vas an accident. There vas nothing you could have done. You are completely blameless."

Oliver smiled, knowing and believing she was right. He bent down to her and kissed her sweetly on the lips. After they kissed, Oliver squeezed Lisa lovingly, and said, "Don't you dare ever scare me like that again."

"I'll try not to." Lisa replied and smiled. They kissed again, but then Lisa pulled away. "Dahling, do you smell something burning?" They turned to the stove, which was billowing with smoke.

"My hotscakes!" Lisa exclaimed. Oliver ran over to the sink and filled a bowl with water. He then ran over to the stove and poured it onto the hotcakes. More smoke billowed, but then died down, revealing four charred hotscakes.

Lisa walked over to the stove and examined the damage. "Oh, they're ruined!" Lisa said sadly.

"Nonsense. They're just a little burnt. It can't make them taste worse than they already do." Oliver said.

"Olivah!" Lisa exclaimed.

"I'm just teasing, honey." Oliver said, then he kissed her on the cheek.

Lisa smiled, but then realized something. "Olivah, you must go find Eb and apologize to him, before he leaves us forever!"

"You're right! I completely forgot about him." Oliver said.

"Vhere do you think he is?" Lisa asked.

"I don't know." Oliver replied. "But I have a feeling he's where he always goes when he wants to be alone. I'll go see."

"All right, dahling. Please hurry." Lisa said, worried that he might have already headed off farther than Oliver expected. Oliver gave her a kiss good-bye, then headed out the back door.

Lisa tried to resume her dinner preparations, but was too distracted. Instead, she sat down in the couch in the living room and prayed that Eb was right where Oliver thought he was.


	18. Oliver and Eb Reunite

**The Douglas Farm**

Oliver made his way through his corn and tomato fields and finally ended up in the southern most part of his farm, where Eb's favorite spot was located. He went around some trees and finally spotted Eb, sitting on the boulders he only went to when he wanted to have some privacy. Oliver went up to him and tapped him lightly on the shoulder.

"Eb," Oliver said. Eb turned around to see who was behind him and jumped at the sight of Oliver standing right behind him.

"Mr. Douglas," Eb got up and wiped the tears away from his eyes, "what are you doing here?"

"I came here to tell you to come home. Mrs. Douglas is worried about you." Oliver said.

"No, Mr. Douglas, I can't go back. Ever! I hurt Mrs. Douglas. I set the barn on fire and put her in danger. I can't ever face her or you again!"

"Eb, that's ridiculous. Mrs. Douglas isn't mad at you and neither am I." Oliver tried to convince. "It was an accident. I realize that now." Oliver paused. "And I'm sorry for yelling at you before."

"Mr. Douglas, I didn't run away because you yelled at me, I ran away because I realized you were right. I was careless and it almost cost the life of someone I cared about."

"You were sick." Oliver said.

"That's still no excuse!" Eb cried. "It was still my fault. And I can't go back there with you and Mrs. Douglas knowing that I caused both of you so much pain." Eb turned away from Oliver so he wouldn't see the tears running down his cheeks.

Oliver looked at Eb sadly. "Eb, what are you saying?"

"I'm saying I'm leaving as soon as I can figure out where to go and how to get there." Eb said without turning around.

"Eb, you can't leave. It would break my wife's heart. She would miss you. I would miss you." Oliver admitted.

Eb turned around, not believing his ears. "Do you really mean that, Mr. Douglas?"

"Of course, Eb. Despite my best efforts, you have become part of the family." Oliver smiled.

"Gosh, Mr. Douglas, that's the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me!"

"Well, I mean it." Oliver said sincerely. Eb walked over to Oliver and enveloped him in a hug. To his surprise, Oliver returned it. There was a momentary awkward silence that followed.

"Now will you please come back to the house? My wife must be frantic with worry." Oliver said in attempt to break the silence.

"Sure, dad." Eb smiled mischievously.

"Good boy, son." Oliver smiled back.

Eb looked at him in disbelief. "Did you just call me son?"

"Yeah, but don't get used to it. Once this close moment between us is over, we're going back to normal." Oliver said. Eb looked at Oliver, who smiled and winked at him.

"Let's go, I'm starving." Eb said.

"We'll you're not in much luck. Mrs. Douglas made hotcakes."

"Really?" Eb asked disappointed.

"Yep. And it gets worse. She burned them, too."

"Maybe I should have run away when I had the chance!"

Oliver laughed, and together they walked back to the house.

**Back at the House**

Lisa had been pacing around the room for a while now. She finally decided to sit on the couch again and tried to take her mind off of Eb by reading a magazine, when the door opened.

"Eb!" Lisa cried when she caught sight of him. She jumped up from her chair, ran over to Eb, and hugged him.

"Lisa, be careful. The doctor said you shouldn't get up too quickly." Oliver said reprimanding.

"It's all right, Dahling. I haven't been sitting down for long." Lisa explained. She turned back to Eb. "Eb, I vas so vorried about you! Is everything alright between you and my husband?"

"Yes, ma'am. Everything is hunky dory!" Eb said.

"Good, I'm glad. Now let's all go to the kitchen and eat some supper." At that, Lisa turned and headed to the kitchen. Eb and Oliver exchanged apprehensive glances, and then regretfully followed Lisa to eat her, what they called them, heartburns on a plate.

Awww, that was a sweet moment between Eb and Oliver! I knew Oliver really liked Eb! Well, that does it for the drama! Now comes the romance! We're on our way to the ball!


	19. Haney's Soft Spot

**The Douglas Farm**

Oliver woke up Monday morning to the face of his lovely wife. He smiled and kissed her on the lips. "Time to wake up, honey."

Lisa opened her eyes sleepily, caught sight of her husband, and smiled. "Vhat for?" she asked mischievously.

Oliver smiled. "Because, we still have a lot of work to do if we want to make Friday's ball a success." He got up, put his robe and slippers on, and proceeded to gather his clothes for the day.

"Vhat do you mean ve?" Lisa asked as she stretched.

"Lisa! Everyone is counting on you and your exquisite taste to make this ball a night to remember." Oliver said, trying to convince her.

"But vhy me? Vhy is it all my responsibility to make the ball beautiful for everyone?" Lisa argued playfully.

"Well, who knows more about beauty than you? You live with it everyday." Oliver replied sweetly.

"That's not fair. Flattery is cheating!" Lisa smiled.

"It is not. This is cheating." Oliver then walked over to where Lisa lay and kissed her sweetly.

Lisa smiled after the kiss was over and pretending to think. "I'm not convinced."

Oliver laughed. "Get up!" Oliver exclaimed.

"Oh, all right, dahling!" Lisa said while giggling. She got out of bed and realized that her robe was on the floor. She bent down to pick it up, but the quick action of straightening up sent her world reeling. Waves of nausea soon followed.

"Dahling!" she called out for Oliver to assist her. Oliver turned around at Lisa's call and realized that she was swaying back and forth. Realizing that she was having another dizzy spell, he ran over and steadied her.

"Lisa, all you all right?" Oliver asked with a worried look on his face.

"Another dizzy spell," was all Lisa could get out. Another wave of nausea hit her, making her close her eyes and moan.

"Sit down." Oliver said while sitting her down gently on the bed. "Now, take deep breaths while I go get your medicine." Oliver ran over to the bathroom where Lisa kept her medicine. He took out a pill and ran to the kitchen to get a glass of water. He then returned to Lisa's side.

"Here, honey, take this." Oliver said, handing her the pill and the water. Lisa put the pill in her mouth, took a sip of water, and then swallowed the pill. Oliver took the glass from Lisa, put it on the floor beside the bed, and then sat down next to Lisa and took her in his arms. Lisa laid her head of Oliver's chest, closed her eyes, and continued taking deep breaths. After a few minutes, the dizzy spell subsided and Lisa returned to normal. She picked her head up.

"Are you all right now, sweetheart?" Oliver asked.

"Yes, dahling. Thank you."

"Lisa, you must be careful when making sudden motions. You're not entirely healed yet."

"I know dahling. I'm sorry."

"It's all right. You're fine now. But do you think you'll be well enough to help decorate the civic center?"

"I have to dahling. The people are counting on me, remember?" Lisa said defiantly. Oliver looked at her and saw, in her eyes, how much she wanted to help.

"Oh, all right. You can help. But you have to promise me you won't overdo it." Oliver said.

"Don't vorry dahling. I promise I vill only lift fourteen tables instead of fifteen." Lisa said teasingly.

"I'm serious, Lisa." Oliver said. He jumped up from the bed and stood in front of Lisa. "I don't want you to hurt yourself. Now promise me you won't overdo it." he said in a stern tone.

Lisa looked into her eyes and realized he really wasn't kidding. She got up and kissed him. "Don't vorry dahling. I promise I von't overdo it." Lisa said reassuringly.

"Good girl!" Oliver said approvingly. "Now, I'm going to take a shower and would appreciate it if breakfast was waiting for me when I am done. But I still don't want you cooking on that stove. Toast and coffee will be fine."

"Yes sir!" Lisa said, saluting playfully. She then turned on her heel and marched out of the room. Oliver shook his head and smiled, then proceeded to the shower.

**The Douglas Farm, later that morning**

Oliver walked out the front door prepared to do a little weeding in the corn field when Mr. Haney's truck pulled up in front of the house.

"Oh, good morning, Mr. Haney." Oliver greeted him politely.

"Good morning, Mr. Douglas." Mr. Haney said after he hoped out of his truck. "I heard that you wanted to see me."

"Yes. You see, today I was planning on taking my wife over to the civic center so she can begin working on the decorations, but I can't because I realized that I still need to take care of a few things for the ball as well. I was wondering if you could gather up all the people who were going to help my wife move things around, then come back here, pick her up, and drive her over to the civic center."

"Goll-ee, Mr. Douglas. That sure does sound like a lot of work. More work than you assigned me to do. And with all the gas I'm going to need, and the…"

"How much!" Oliver interrupted him, knowing perfectly well what he was driving at.

"Well, how does fifty dollars sound?" Mr. Haney asked.

"Ten sounds better." Oliver replied.

"Ten dollars! For full taxi services! Why, Mr. Douglas, that's highway robbery!"

"What full taxi services!" Oliver asked skeptically.

"I'm glad you asked that! Please follow me!" Mr. Haney grabbed Oliver by the arm and led him to the passenger's side of the truck.

"Now, looky here, Mr. Douglas. For the poultry sum of, lets say, forty dollars. You're wife could ride with all the benefits of the Haney Taxi Services. She will have the comfort of these therapeutic massaging beads." Mr. Haney said, pointing to a, what looked like marbles together in a mat-like way and strewn over the passenger's seat.

"Also, she will have the please of listening to her choice of music with my high quality radio." he continued, pointing to the old radio with wires sticking out from all sides sitting atop of the dashboard.

"Mr. Haney, I've seen enough. I'd rather not have my wife riding around in this old tin can you call a truck. She still isn't feeling well."

"What do you mean?" Mr. Haney asked.

"Well, she's still getting bad headaches and dizzy spells every now and then, and riding around in that thing will not help her condition."

"Well, that's a different story! Tell you what I'll do. I'll gather everyone who was supposed to come help decorate and send them to the civic center. I will then come back her and drive your wife to the center in your car. I will help her decorate the center, and then once she's done, I will bring her and your car home. How's that sound?"

"For how much?" Oliver asked.

"Since it's in the name of your wife's health, I will do it free of charge!" Mr. Haney exclaimed.

Oliver was taken aback. _What do you know, _he thought, _the old trickster does have a heart after all._

"Do we have a deal?" Mr. Haney asked, extending his hand.

"We have a deal." Oliver said, taking his hand and shaking it.

"Now, I better start rounding up the workers. I'll be back for your wife later this afternoon." Mr. Haney said as he climbed into his truck.

"All right. See you then." Oliver replied, still finding it hard to believe that Mr. Haney would actually do something for someone else without asking anything in return. Oliver watched Mr. Haney's truck drive away, and then turned around to go into the house and tell Lisa the news.

_I guess Haney does have a soft spot after all, _Oliver thought as he walked back into the house. _It just took someone like my wife to bring it out of him._ Oliver smiled at the thought and then proceeded to find his wife.


	20. The New Civic Center

**The Douglas Farm**

To Oliver's surprise, Mr. Haney pulled up in front of their house early in the afternoon just like he promised. Oliver walked into the house to get Lisa.

"Lisa! Mr. Haney's here!" Oliver yelled towards the bedroom.

"Coming, dahling!" Lisa responded.

Oliver walked back outside to talk to Mr. Haney. He found him sitting in his car, waiting for Oliver to hand him the keys.

"Is you're wife ready to go? Mr. Haney asked.

"Yes, she'll be right out. But before you go, I want to talk to you. It concerns my wife."

"All right, shoot." Mr. Haney replied.

"I want you to keep an eye on my wife. She still isn't feeling well and I don't want her fainting or hurting herself. I need you to make sure she doesn't strain herself. Make sure she doesn't lift anything heavy, make sure she doesn't stand up or walk around for long periods of times, and make sure she is not out in the heat too long."

"Sure thing, Mr. Douglas. It will be my pleasure to keep an eye on your lovely wife at all times." Mr. Haney said.

"I'm serious, Mr. Haney. Please take good care of her while she's over there, and try to bring her back as soon as possible."

Mr. Haney looked into Oliver's eyes and realized he wasn't joking. "You don't have to worry about a thing. Your wife is in good hands."

"Good, now I'll go see what's holding up my wife." Oliver turned around and went back into the house.

"Lisa! What's taking you so long?" Oliver called out.

Lisa came running out of the bedroom. "I'm sorry, dahling. I'm ready now."

"Good. Mr. Haney's waiting for you."

"Olivah, vhy can't you take me again?" Lisa asked Oliver sadly.

"I told you Lisa, I would have loved to take you, but Eb and I still need to do a lot of work and then afterwards I have to walk over to Drucker's and take care of the rest of the details for the ball."

"Couldn't you just have Eb and Mr. Drucker take care of all that?" Lisa asked hopefully.

"I wish I could, but I need to help. I need to make sure that this ball is a perfect night for everyone. Especially for you." Oliver said as he smiled, hoping that will convince her.

"Vell, all right, dahling, I understand."

"Good. Now let's get you to that civic center. And remember what I told you about not overdoing it." Oliver warned.

"Yes dahling." Lisa replied as they walked out the door. Oliver held open the car door as Lisa got in and closed it once she was settled. Oliver then leaned over and kissed her goodbye.

"Goodbye, Honey. And good luck. I love you." Oliver told her sweetly. Every since Lisa got back from the hospital, Oliver tried to make it a point to tell her that he loved her every time they were about to be apart.

"I love you too, dahling" Lisa said, smiling. Oliver handed Mr. Haney his eyes and stepped back. The car started up and took off down the road. Oliver watched it drive away and then returned to his work.

**The New Hooterville Civic Center**

As Lisa first walked into the new civic center, she wasn't too impressed. It was just a bunch of offices and such. But she realized that there was a two staircases partitioned off by a red velvet rope to the left and right of her that led to the floor below the main level. She walked past the velvet rope and amazed at the sight before her.

The two staircases curved and met in the middle, making another grand staircase that led to the floor. The floor was made to be somewhat of a giant dance floor and even had a stage at the far end of it. The decorations were scattered about in a careless matter, but could be fixed shortly. Lisa couldn't believe her eyes. _No vonder they decided to have a ball to celebrate the opening,_ Lisa thought, _this place is beautiful._

Lisa stepped onto the dance floor excitedly and began imagining what it would look like after all the decorations she ordered were put up correctly. Suddenly, she heard voices behind her. She turned around to find half the men of Hooterville and Ralph standing behind her.

"Wow. This place sure is beautiful!" Ralph said.

"Well, it was 'til you showed up!" Alf replied nastily.

"Alf, don't make me belt you!" Ralph yelled.

"Hello dere!" Lisa greeted, trying to break up the argument.

"Hello, Mrs. Douglas." Mr. Kiley said. "We're all here and ready to work.

"Vonderful! Then let's get started right away. The longer I am avay, the more vorried my husband will get."

At that, everyone began walking around and unpacking things from boxes. Lisa was about to kneel down and unpack a box when Ralph came up to her.

"Mrs. Douglas, can I ask you for a favor?" Ralph asked shyly.

"Of course Ralph, dahling. Vhat is it?" Lisa asked.

"Well, you see, I was planning on coming to the ball and wearing something beautiful to try and make Hankie notice me, but I don't have a thing to wear. I was wondering if I could borrow a dress from you."

"Of course, Ralph. I'll be glad to lend you a dress. Vhy don't you come by tomorrow and we'll see what we can find." Lisa said kindly.

"Oh thank you Mrs. Douglas!" Ralph said excitedly while hugging her.

"My pleasure!" Lisa replied. "Now, vhy don't ve see vhat ve can do vith these decorations!" Ralph nodded and together they began helping the men prepare for Friday's ball.

**The Douglas Farm**

Lisa returned to the farm later that evening pleased with all that they had accomplished today. All the decorations were put up and now all they needed were the band and the hourderves, which were arriving the day of the ball. Lisa walked into the house, smiling.

Oliver walked out of the bedroom. "Lisa, you're home!" he said happily.

"Hello dere!" Lisa said and then kissed him hello.

"How did it go?" Oliver asked.

"Vonderful dahling! The civic center looks beautiful! How did your day go?"

"Oh fine. The farm is coming along beautifully. The advertisements are done and are being distributed as we speak and the band is setting up their instrument and rehearsing tomorrow. Lisa it looks like this ball is going to be the best social event Hooterville has ever seen!"

"I'm glad it's going so vell." Lisa said happily.

Oliver looked at her and smiled. "Oh, I just remembered, while I was at Drucker's, he gave me a package that arrived for you this morning." Oliver walked to the bedroom to get it.

"Really! From who?" Lisa asked excitedly.

"My mother." Oliver yelled to her from the bedroom. He found the package, returned to Lisa's side and handed her the package. Lisa took it excitedly and sat down to read the card attached.

"Dahling," she began reading, "I am so glad to hear that you are all right. I hope to see you very soon, but for now I send you this gift. I heard that wretched little town my son dragged you to is having a ball," Lisa paused to smile at Oliver, who had an exasperated look on his face. She continued reading, "so I had my dress maker make you this especially for the occasion. I know you will look breathtaking in it. All my love, Mother. P.S. Tell Oliver I said hello."

Lisa giggled as Oliver shook his head in exasperation. She then put the package in her lap and began opening it. She took off the lid to reveal a light blue satin ball gown.

"Oh, Olivah, isn't this a beautiful gown!" Lisa asked excitedly. She stood up and held it up to her.

"It sure is." Oliver responded and smiled. "I'm sure you will look beautiful in it."

Lisa looked up and smiled. "I think I'll go try it on right now. But you mustn't peek. I vant to surprise you on the night of the ball."

"All right, I promise I won't peek." Oliver replied. At that, Lisa ran into the bedroom and closed the door.

Oliver smiled at Lisa's excitement and imagined himself gliding around the dance floor as he went into the kitchen to make himself a sandwich. _It won't be long now, _Oliver thought excitedly, _not long at all._


	21. The Ball

**The Douglas Farm**

Oliver sat on the couch in the living room, dressed in his best tuxedo. It was finally Friday, the day of the ball, and the day that he had been looking forward to for two weeks. He could hardly contain his excitement. Oliver couldn't wait until he was able to walk into that ball room with his wife on his arms.

"Lisa!" he called. "Are you almost ready?"

"Almost dahling!" Lisa called back from the bedroom.

Oliver got up out of the couch and began pacing around the living room anxiously. Suddenly heard his wife's voice behind him.

"All right, dahling. I'm ready to go."

Oliver turned around to face his wife and froze in awe. The very sight of Lisa took his breath away. She was dressed in a light blue, strapless evening gown with simple patterns made out of diamonds that sparkled whenever she moved. She had matching gloves that extending past her elbows and a sheer matching shawl that wrapped around her arms. Her blonde hair was piled elegantly atop her head and there was a small diamond tiara embedded in her curls. Oliver had never her seen any woman look more beautiful then his wife did right now.

"Oh, Olivah, you look so handsome! How do I look?" Lisa said. Oliver couldn't believe she even had to ask.

"Lisa," Oliver paused, trying to find the right words to express how beautiful she looked, "you look breathtaking."

"Thank you, dahling. Are you ready to go?" Lisa asked.

"Uh, yes. Yes, let's go!" Oliver said distractedly, still amazed at how wonderful she looked. Together they walked outside to the car. Oliver opened the car door for Lisa and helped her get in. He closed her door and ran over to his side, got into the car, and started it up.

"Oh dahling, could you please put the top up before ve go. I don't vant to ruin my hair." Lisa said.

"Of course." Oliver said, as he pushed the button. The top automatically came up and they were off. As they drove toward the civic center, Oliver's excitement doubled. He couldn't wait to see the look on everyone's face when he walked in with the most beautiful woman in the world on his arm.

**The New Hooterville Civic Center**

Oliver and Lisa pulled up to the front of the civic center after everyone else had already arrived. Oliver hopped out of the car and ran around to the other side to open the door for Lisa. She got out and waited for Oliver to lock up the car.

"Olivah, I can't vait for you to see the civic center! It looks so beautiful vith all the decorations!"

"I'm sure it does." Oliver responded. He offered her his arm, which Lisa gladly took, and escorted her into the building. They walked in and went down the flight of stairs that led to the ball. As they descended down the grand staircase, Oliver could feel the eyes of everyone in the room on him and his wife. He smiled to himself with pride and looked around the room.

Everyone from Hooterville seemed to be there, all dressed in their very best. The men wore their best tuxedos and the women wore ball gowns, most of them borrowed from Lisa. There were black and dark blue balloons all around, beautiful plants at every corner of the room, and elegant round tables placed strategically around the room. The band was playing soft jazz music and there were waiters walking around offering punch and hourderves. To Oliver's relief, everything looked perfect.

The Douglas's finally reached the floor and began walking around, greeting their friends. They came up to a small group of familiar people, consisting of Mr. Drucker, Mr. Haney, Mr. Ziffel and Mr. Kimball.

"Good evening, all." Oliver greeted.

"Hello Mr. Douglas." Mr. Drucker responded. "Mrs. Douglas, I must say, you look very beautiful tonight." Mr. Drucker paused when he realized what he said. "Not that you don't look beautiful all the time, it's just that tonight, you, uh…"

Lisa smiled. "I know vhat you mean, Mr. Drucker, and I thank you for the compliment. You look very handsome yourself, you all do."

The men suddenly became shy and mumbled their thank yous. Lisa looked around and spotted the ladies standing at the other end of the room.

"Excuse me, gentlemen, but I think I vill go and join the ladies. Is that all right Olivah?" Lisa asked.

"Of course, honey. We'll dance later." Oliver said. Lisa smiled, said good-bye to the men, and left to join the women.

The men watched her walk away, and then turned their attention to Oliver. "Golly, Mr. Douglas, she sure does look beautiful tonight." Mr. Haney said.

"Yeah," Mr. Kimball said. "Who is she?"

"Oh, for the love of…" Oliver said. "That's my wife!"

"Oh! Who are you?" Mr. Kimball asked with a baffled look on his face.

"Hank, will you…oh, never mind!" Mr. Drucker said, getting frustrated. "I bet every man in the room wishes he could be you tonight." he said, turning his attention back to Oliver.

"I know I do!" Mr. Ziffel replied. "I wish my wife could look like that, even for one night."

"Well, I'm sure my wife would appreciate your compliments." Oliver replied. "Now if you'd excuse me, I think I'll go get a drink." Oliver walked away; pleased at the compliments his wife was receiving.

Two hours later…

Oliver had been walking around the room chatting with his friends and dancing with his wife for a while now, and was having a wonderful time. Every person he talked with, man or woman, complimented his wife and how beautiful she looked. It seemed that every woman wanted to be her and every man wanted to be with her. Oliver was so happy for her; he knew his wife must be having a wonderful time as well.

Oliver walked over to his wife, who was talking to Mr. Drucker, and put his arm around her waist. They greeted him and they all began holding a conversation. Suddenly, someone called Lisa's name.

"Mrs. Douglas, can I talk to you?" Ralph asked.

"Of course. Vould you gentlemen excuse me?" Oliver and Mr. Drucker nodded and Lisa walked over to Ralph to talk to her.

"Oh, Mr. Douglas, I wanted you to meet someone. Joseph!" Mr. Drucker called. A handsome man about Oliver's age appeared. "Mr. Drucker, this is Joseph Gallagher. He just moved here."

"Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Gallagher." Oliver said as he shook his hand.

"Please, call me Joseph." he said politely.

"All right, as long as you call me Oliver. So what brings you to our humble town?" Oliver inquired.

"Well, my love for farming I guess. I wanted to get as far away from the city as I possibly could and become a simple farm hand, living the simple life." Joseph said.

"Oh, so you're a farm hand." Oliver said.

"Yes or at least I will be as soon as I can find a farmer willing to hire me."

"Where are you staying in the meantime?" Oliver asked.

"Mr. Drucker has been kind enough to take me in." Joseph said appreciatively.

"Oh, it was nothing!" Mr. Drucker said.

"Have you met everyone around here?" Oliver asked.

"Everyone except that ravishing beauty over there." Joseph said, pointing to Lisa. "I haven't had the pleasure of meeting her yet."

"Oh, that's my wife." Oliver said. "I'll get her and introduce her to you." Oliver walked away and returned with Lisa.

"Joseph Gallagher, this is my wife, Lisa." Oliver said.

"I'm delighted to meet you, Mr. Gallagher." Lisa said, offering her hand. Joseph took it and kissed it lightly.

"The delight is all mine, Mrs. Douglas." Joseph replied.

"My, you certainly are charming." Lisa said.

"Lisa, Joseph just moved here and is planning on becoming a farm hand. He's staying with Mr. Drucker in the meantime." Oliver said, catching her up.

"Is that so, Mr. Gallagher?" Lisa asked.

"Yes it is, and please, call me Joseph." he replied.

"All right, if you call me Lisa." she replied.

"Well, Lisa, if you don't mind me saying, you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen." Joseph said.

"Oh, you're to kind, Joseph." Lisa said smiling.

"Oliver, would you mind if I ask your lovely wife for a dance?" Joseph asked Oliver.

"Not at all." Oliver said.

"Lisa, would you do me the honor of dancing with me?" Joseph asked.

"I vould love to." Lisa said. Joseph escorted her to the dance floor and they began dancing and talking.

"Well, Mr. Douglas, you're wife certainly is the belle of the ball." Mr. Drucker said.

"She sure is." Oliver replied as he watched Joseph and his wife dance and talk and laugh. Suddenly, he got an idea. "Mr. Drucker, does the band take requests?"

Ten minutes later…

Lisa and Joseph had finished dancing and were now sitting and talking at one of the tables. Suddenly, Lisa heard her husband's voice on the microphone the band had been using.

"Excuse me, everyone. I would like to dedicate this next song to my wife Lisa, whom I love very, very much." Everyone clapped and turned to Lisa, who got up from where she was sitting and walked toward Oliver. Oliver stepped off stage and made his way to Lisa. The band began to play, "The Way You Look Tonight", by Frank Sinatra.

"Oh Oliver, vhat a sweet, vonderful surprise!" Lisa said once they met in the middle of the dance floor.

"Lisa, may I have this dance?" Oliver asked.

Lisa smiled, put her left arm on his shoulder and took his left hand in her right hand. Oliver put his arm around Lisa's waist and pulled her closer to him. They began swaying along to the song. Soon, other couples began to join in.

_Some day, when I'm awfully low,  
When the world is cold,  
I will feel a glow just thinking of you  
And the way you look tonight._

Oliver couldn't remember the last time he was so happy. He was dancing in the arms of the woman he loved, just like he had wanted. He looked into her eyes and smiled, which she returned.

"Lisa, there is no other place I'd rather be tonight then right here with you."

"I know how you feel." Lisa responded.

_You're lovely, with your smile so warm  
And your cheeks so soft,  
There is nothing for me but to love you,  
And the way you look tonight._

"You know, before you're accident, I thought I had all the time in the world to make time to spend with you. But now, I know our time together is special, and I promise I will remember that from now on. I will never again take you for granted."

_With each word your tenderness grows,  
Tearing my fears apart  
And that laugh that wrinkles your nose,  
Touches my foolish heart._

Lisa smiled. "You know vhat brought me back, Olivah?"

"What?" Oliver asked.

"The sound of your voice."

"You mean, you could here me when I talked to you."

"Vell, not exactly. I couldn't hear vhat you vere saying, but I could hear your voice. I couldn't stand the thought of never seeing you again, so I followed the sound of your voice and found my way back to you. I couldn't have done it vithout you."

"Well, I couldn't have gone on without you. Lisa, I don't know what I would have done if I had lost you. Promise me you will never do that to me again!"

"I promise, dahling." Lisa said smiling.

_Yes you're lovely, never, ever change  
Keep that breathless charm._

_Won't you please arrange it?  
'Cause I love you  
Just the way you look tonight._

"So, Olivah, do you love me?" Lisa asked teasingly.

Oliver nearly melted at that smile. He looked into her dark brown eyes, his heart overflowing with emotion, and tried to think of the perfect words to express how strongly he felt about her.

"My whole life, I've never loved anyone else." Oliver said sweetly. Lisa smiled and tears welled up in her eyes. "Neither have I." she responded. Oliver bent towards her and they shared a long, sweet kiss. Lisa then leaned her head on Oliver's shoulder and continued to sway along to the music.

Oliver continued to hold Lisa tightly, hoping this moment would never end. He was right where he wanted to be, where he needed to be. As he swayed along with his wife in his arms and her head close to his heart, Oliver realized that the most precious things in life are not the things you make for yourself, but the things that God was gracious enough to bless you with. And he promised that from that moment on he would never forget it.

The End

Sigh, I know, I know, I'm a hopeless romantic! Anyway, that's the end of this story! I hope you enjoyed it! And don't worry, this is by far not my last story. I'm either going to right a second part to this story or a brand new one, so stay tuned!


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